Chapter Text
The bar wasn’t too hectic, which made sense. It was a thursday night, most people were waiting for the weekend to roll around so they could unwind. Neji was grateful for that. Less people to see the poor state he was in.
During the cab ride he couldn’t get the picture of Lee and his wife out of his mind. The soft smiles she had directed at the man, even while he was around, like she didn’t care to hide it. Really, how hadn’t he noticed? At work, Lee didn’t necessarily avoid him, but he didn’t seek him out for lunch like he used to, didn’t invade his office to chat about some random topic to pass the time. Had he been so disinterested in the people he cared about that he didn’t notice the affair going on right under his nose?
He wanted to drink until the thoughts were erased from his brain, even just for a little while.
When he found Shikamaru at the bar, nursing a drink, he tried to smile but the other man clocked his mood immediately.
“Two more,” the man’s low drawl said to the bartender as he raised his glass before draining it. “You look good.”
Shikamaru’s compliment made his heart stutter in his chest, but he did his best to ignore it as he dropped onto the barstool. He didn’t have the energy to pretend everything was okay.
The other man watched him, too perceptive for Neji’s own good. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” was the burnet’s clipped reply, his pale gaze more interested in the sticky bar top than the man beside him.
“Callin’ bullshit,” the other man hummed out, and Neji could hear the smile in his voice.
Just in time the cold drinks were set in front of them and Neji snatched his up, draining half of the vodka in one shot and cringing at the burn. He really didn’t want to talk about this, but he didn’t really have anyone else to go to.
“C’mon, let it out. You’ll feel better,” the brown eyed man said as he nudged him, finally making him lift his gaze.
Shikamaru looked just as captivatingly good as he did that first night and it had Neji bringing the drink to his lips for another quick gulp. Those sharp eyes were set on him expectantly and he let out a sigh.
“My wife has been cheating on me,” he said as he lifted his glass up in mock cheers before downing the last of his drink. He hadn’t expected the low chuckle that left Shikamaru, and it had Neji cutting his eyes at him. “This isn’t funny Shikamaru.”
The two had grown close in the past weeks, so much so that he knew the man wasn’t making fun of him, but it didn’t hurt his pride any less.
“It’s a little funny considering you shoved your tongue down my throat just a few weeks ago,” the dark-haired man said before taking a sip of his own drink.
That had Neji’s face warming, it was true, and he really had no room to be upset with Tenten but he was.
“That doesn’t make it better. It just makes us both shitty,” he complained as he motioned for another drink as the bartender passed by them.
“Yeah, but it does mean you should cut her some slack. You haven’t fucked her in years from what you told me.” The crude comment made Neji cringe again, fingers splayed atop the bar curling into a loose fist. “Everyone has needs.”
“You’re really not helping, you know,” Neji complained.
“Mm wasn’t tryna make it better, just stating the facts,” Shikamaru shot back.
The Hyūga didn’t respond after that, his mind running with thoughts. Why had he grown so detached? When had he fallen out of love with the woman who he thought was the love of his life? It made him sad to think about so when a new drink replaced his empty glass, he picked it up again.
“You should slow down, don’t want another hang over,” Shikamaru teased but Neji just gave him an unamused look before taking a quick sip.
“I just want to forget for a little while,” he sighed out. If liquor would make that happen then hangover be damned.
“Okay, I have something that can help with that, and it won’t have you retching in the morning… maybe,” Shikamaru said before he finished his drink and turned to face the Hyūga. “We’d have to get out of here though.”
Neji gave a shrug; whatever it was would be better than his current state.
It was a thousand times better than sulking. Neji had almost coughed up a lung in the beginning but now, an hour later, he was sat on the other man’s couch, his head tipped back against the cushions with a blissful smile on his face. He felt like he was floating away as his eyes followed the soft curls of smoke.
“You know what would be good right now,” Neji murmured, his question met with a curious grunt. “A burger. Extra pickles,” he added on, and it had the other man chuckling, the sound drawing his gaze.
“You don’t look like you’ve eaten a burger in… ever actually,” Shikamaru said, his voice tamped by the smoke he held in his lungs before letting it slip between his lips.
Neji couldn’t pull his gaze from those parted lips as he tried to formulate a response. Did weed take away everyone’s ability to think straight? “I’ve had a burger before,” he argued, but it sounded like a question, like he actually wasn’t sure at the moment.
Shikamaru just smiled before he was taking another drag of the joint and leaning over to put it out. “I’m not going out, but I can order some before it gets too late.”
Neji was too distracted by the curl of the other man’s lips to actually answer, his tongue darting out to wet his suddenly dry lips. He really wanted to feel them again. And like the filter between his brain and his mouth had dissolved into smoke he voiced his desire.
To Shikamaru’s credit, he didn’t look surprised at all, like he had known just what was on the Hyūga’s mind. He didn’t respond though, he just laughed again as he scooted closer to Neji, his knee pressed to the brunet’s thigh.
The warm contact stirred something in Neji, and he sat up straighter, breath caught in his throat as he finally noticed just how close they had been this whole time.
“If you want it, you’re gonna have to come get it Hyūga,” Shikamaru teased as one of his hands lifted to push back a lock of Neji’s bangs from his face, fingertips brushing along his skin just barely.
That was all the Hyūga needed to hear before he was eagerly leaning in to slot their lips together. His limbs felt too light, and the kiss did nothing to remedy the floaty feeling.
Shikamaru let both of his hands slip up to cup Neji’s neck, thumbs brushing his jaw as his other digits slid into the soft strands at his nape.
This set the Hyūga’s nerves alight, making him press closer as his tongue dragged along Shikamaru’s lips. The reaction was immediate, the dark-haired man parted his lips with a soft sigh, groaning as their tongues met.
The groan Neji let out had a shiver racing down Shikamaru’s spine and the brunet didn’t give him a chance to steady himself before he was pushing him to lay back against the couch. The angle was a little awkward at first, not that they cared, they were too busy learning every curve of the other’s warm mouth.
Shikamaru was the one to break for air, sucking in a breath as his head tipped back into the cushion. It took a few guided shifts, that Neji followed without thought, for their bodies to be pressed together more comfortably.
Neji, more touch starved than he had realized, was spurred on by the gentle way the other man let his fingers slide up along his scalp. Another groan spilling free, muffled but the expanse of Shikamaru’s throat as he pressed biting kisses to it. His hands were busy keeping him steady above Shikamaru, but he wanted more, and he wordlessly said that by grinding his aching length against the other man’s hip.
“Fuck,” Shikamaru breathed out before he was tightening his grip on Neji’s long strands, pulling him back so he could mesh their lips together again.
Neji was brought out of the lustful haze by a few knocks at the door. He had tried to ignore it at first, trailing his lips along Shikamaru’s jaw again but after a minute it had started again so he started to pull away.
“No,” the man under him complained, the sound breathless and he couldn’t help but smile down at him.
“I don’t think they’re going to leave Shikamaru,” he teased, stealing another quick peck before he was slowly untangling their limbs.
“I hate her so much right now.”
Neji just chuckled, his mind a little clearer now as he tried to make himself presentable, fingers smoothing down his hair as he watched the other man reluctantly peel himself from the couch.
He figured he should probably call it a night soon anyway, he still had work in the morning and before he let things go any further, he knew he had to have a real talk with his wife and his friend.
Just the reminder of that had his mood souring as Shikamaru stepped back into this line of sight, the blonde from the club sauntering behind him.
“Oh, I’m interrupting,” Ino said, but she didn’t sound like she regretted it.
“Yeah. I said that about five times,” Shikamaru huffed out.
Neji took him in, his face was slightly flushed, his hair a little mussed and a few soft red patches blooming on his neck. It made him want to pull the other man into his lap regardless of the woman watching. Instead, he got to his feet, a sheepish smile on his face.
“It’s fine, I should head home anyway. I have to be up early,” he excused himself, side stepping the woman who had started towards the couch to flip down in his spot.
“Yeah,” was Shikamaru’s lame reply as he turned on his heel to see him out.
As soon as they were out of sight Neji was cupping his face to pull him into a quick, but searing kiss that had Shikamaru almost melting into him before he was pulling away.
“Can I see you in a few days?”
“Yeah just hit me up,” Shikamaru answered, a smile tugging at his lips. With that, the dark-haired man was pulling the door open for him.
Neji felt like a hypocrite as he took the short walk to his own apartment, but it wasn’t enough to shake the giddy feeling in his chest. He really needed to figure his shit out, the sooner the better.