Work Text:
Young shikamaru has just inherited the family farm, his parents have saved up enough money for themselves to move on and away from the small agricultural town.
So young shikamaru was left alone in the middle of the night taking over everything in the blink of an eye, thankfully, he had always played a huge part in running the farm, he had been for his 21 years of living. So weeks go by, he's adapting, sad that his parents just up and left without so much as a goodbye to their son, but he only sighed at the thought and decided to get over it.
He'd get lonely, he felt the absence of his parents always, but just a little more at night when the wind eerily creaked against the shabby window panels, or when he sat alone at night to eat his dinner.
He didn't make much money, but there wasn't much to buy, and now that it was only he he had to provide for, he was fine with it.
He thought back to his parents, how they said he should get married soon, there was no one he truly took any interest in so he would always swat away the question.
“Shikamaru dear, don't you think it's time you get married?” his father calmly sipping a cup of tea asked
Shikamru however, just lazing on the porch in the warm summer sun just shrugged. “Never think about it too much, I mean there's no one I really like around anyways, not something I concern myself with. Plus I'm always busy and wouldn't have time to make a girl happy.” he shut his eyes as the sun started to irritate them.
His father shook his head and let out a light chuckle. “I mean, you don't have to like her.” By the time the words left his fathers mouth, his mother walked out of the kitchen, a scary glint in her eyes.
“Was that supposed to mean something?” her eyes twitched as she asked the question to shikamaru's father.
“N-nothing dear” he sheepishly smiled at his wife, who had now turned her attention to their son.
“Shikamru, you really should consider getting married.” she told him, but he simply ignored her and continued to bask in the sun.
Now looking back, shikamaru realized why they insisted so much, they already knew they were gonna leave soon and didn't want him to be lonely.
He lifted himself off his bed and decided to head into town that day. Maybe now he will finally take his parents' words into consideration.
Their town never got much action, no nobles ever passed through, well no one passed through, hell his parents leaving was the biggest scandal they had had in a while.
But today was much different, as shikamaru walked down the hill, he spotted practically the entire town congrating in the town square. They had no festivals, no traditions, what could this be?
Shikamru scrunched his eyebrows together, hoping the sun damage in his eyes would magically disappear and clear his vision up to see what everyone was causing such a fuss about.
he sped up, curiosity growing on him, he got closer and closer and finally, at the bottom of that hill was-
A girl?
No, it couldn't be, he Could vaguely hear the voice of the mysterious person and it was definitely one of a man, as well as a foreigner.
His eyes traced the newcomer, he was pale, with long straight dark hair, and his eyes. Wow his eyes, they were a light grayish purple. Shikamru felt the wind knocked out of him, this newcomer was, dare he think beautiful, and he didn't seem to be the only one who noticed.
So that's what got everyone so worked up, not only a new face in town, but a foreigner.
“North country” he heard the man say, and that made sense, he was much paler than anyone who he’d seen in his own village. His features were different too, his eyes were large and round, his skin snow white with nothing but two beauty marks, below his lip and below his left eye. His nose was more rounded compared to the usual tall and sharp noses of the people in his village. His lips were plump and pink and wow shikamaru couldn't keep his eyes off him.
Once he snapped back into reality, it looked as if the newcomer had the same exact issue. He watched, his mouth agape as the northerner strolled over to shikamaru. His long clothing, evident of habitating an area with a colder climate, elegantly dragged alongside him as he neared.
The two were practically touching chests, the area was so crowded, viewing the other like it was some sort of zoo animal. Shikarmaru swears he saw a hint of distress in the others beautiful eyes.
So with a sheepish smile shikamaru asked the man. “Do you need a place to stay?” he knew he had done the right thing, if it wasn't at the farmhouse, the only other place that probably would have offered sanctuary to the man was the small brothel, and it was going out of business, needing anything to attract more customers. Shikamaru's teeth chattered at the idea.
Okay maybe shikamaru made that up to justify so quickly inviting the other man over without having even spoken to him, but it was the story shikamaru was keeping close to his heart and soul.
Their town didn’t even have a brothel??
He blinked, and shit did he respond?
“I would like that,” The man said, a small smile on his lips. god his accent was so attractive, shikamaru thought.
So shikamaru and the northerner, who he had learned was named neji, walked back up the hill evading the commotion. They walked in a comfortable silence, at least that's what they both thought the situation was. Shikamaru was panicking and stealing glances away from the other. Neji was actually on the same page, continuing to look over at his ‘rescuer’.
It was about a 20 minute walk to the farm, and they arrived at the rickety wooden porch. Neji looked and analyzed the creaky panels of wood, looking up at the back of shikamaru's head. He followed him into the small house, right into the kitchen.
“May I wash my hands?” He asked, pointing at the sink.
Shikamru nodded “yeah, sure go ahead. You hungry, we don't have much but-” he was cut off by Neji as he walked by from the sink to the low table.
“It is of no concern, I am not hungry, I ate along my travels.” the smile that neji gave to shikamaru as he lowered himself to a spot on the floor melted his heart, he felt the thumping in his entire body, and he just hoped neji couldn't somehow feel it too.
“Ah- right” he opened the cabinets to grab a small pot to boil some rice in. Just enough for two, thinking maybe Neji would want to eat later in the night.
“If you get hungry later though, you can go ahead and get yourself a bowl.” Shikamaru felt the other's eyes burning holes into the back of his head.
Neji hummed and quietly talked to himself in his native language. It was endearing to shikamaru as he cooked, the other had a beautiful voice. Velvety and smooth and his accent really pulled at shikamaru's heart strings.
The two sat together on the floor as shikamaru ate, the others pale colored eyes following shikamaru's chopsticks up to his mouth.
Of course, shikamaru caught wind of this and grew confused.
“You sure you’re not hungry?” Neji seemed to regain his demeanor, shuffling in his seat and smoothing out his hair.
“My apologies, do not worry, I promise you I have eaten sufficiently.” His thin fingers played around with his long straight hair, and Shikamru took a minute to look at them. There was no sign of damage from work, from the sun, he wondered. Is he a noble?
“Uh pardon my intrusion” shikamaru said, trying to sound as articulate as Neji did “but are you a noble?” Neji looked up at him, he was currently mid sip of water, he took such small sips?
He put the cup down and wiped his mouth.
“Perhaps, I may look vastly different than anyone in this village, but I assure you I am nothing special in my own village.
Shikamru curled an eyebrow, thinking sure maybe he wouldn’t look “exotic” but who could deny the beauty that was so evidently there.
“I think you’re quite beautiful.” He blurted out between bites, keeping his eyes on his bowl, not daring to meet neji's ice colored eyes.
Neji Covered his face with his long sleeves.
“You flatter me.” He averted his gaze from the other man.
“You are not horrid yourself” shikamaru jumped up hearing the compliment.
“Coming from you, that means a lot” shikamaru never thought much about his looks. He considered himself average, he looked exactly like his father. He looked like anyone else in his town, tan skin, sun blemished from farm work, brown hair tied up and away from his face and narrower eyes.
“Your features come together quite nicely.” Neji said straight faced but wide eyed, as he came closer to the other man.
Shikamru jolted away, quickly grabbing his bowl and washing it in the sink. Once again, he felt Neji's eyes glued on him.
“You need somewhere to stay? Right yeah uh… we have, my room?” Shikamru thought about where he’d let Neji sleep, the house had a single room, leaving Shikamru to sleep in the living room. Now that he had the room due to his parents' disappearance, he realized he couldn’t just let Neji sleep in the cold living room.
“I do not mind sharing a room, Neji elegantly lifted himself up off the floor.
“Do you want a mat? Or- no actually you can take the bed, it’s nothing special but I couldn’t live with myself letting you sleep on the floor.” Shikamru asked as they entered the room. His parents had a larger bed for the two of them, Neji took this into account.
“We can share? There is more than enough room” not seeming to note down the awkward look on shikamaru's face.
“Sure… yeah sure” shikamaru removed his shirt, but then thought, would it be weird? Would Neji think it’s weird? Neji however, removed his outer layers of clothing, revealing his thinner frame. He changed into thinner clothes and sat on his side of the bed, facing away from shikamaru to brush his hair.
Shikamru couldn’t look away, he was entranced by Neji's smooth movements and the subtle exposure of the back of his neck. The skin was smooth with no sign of any type of blemish.
It clicked in shikamaru's brain, Neji must have been an angel.
Neji subtly looked over his shoulder to the staring man and gave him a smile, before laying beneath the covers of the bed. Shikamru followed.
That night, shikamaru thought about his luck, how the first day he goes into town just thinking of the topic of marriage he meets this beautiful man. But… married, them? He shook the thought, he for at least one night had a companion.
Days passed, Neji never left, shikamaru wasn’t complaining he appreciated the others presence. Soon, days became weeks, weeks became months. While he wasn’t much help in the fields, he was able to help bring more customers to their stand in town, making them a little more money. Shikamaru grew fonder and fonder of the man, and so did the other.
Nights were gentle, just like that first night shikamaru would watch Neji brush his hair. The light of the oil lamp bouncing off his pale skin, shikamaru would give a soft smile looking up at the other man. But as they grew closer, gentle touches were exchanged between the two. shikamaru would lie on the bed, looking up at the other comb through his hair, he'd play with the fallen tendrils of hair. Causing the other to turn around in annoyance, shikamaru thought it was adorable, the look on his face only made shikamaru smile.
“you’re so beautiful,” he’d whisper to him.
Neji would gingerly trace the other's face, and give a soft kiss to shikamaru's forehead and they’d fall asleep on their respective sides of the bed.
Though, one thing continued to bug shikamaru, a ringing in his brain he couldn't settle.
Neji didn’t eat. Neji never ate more than a few grains of rice, and shikamaru felt the only reason he ate that was out of courtesy.
So he decided to bring it up.
“Neji, why don’t you eat that much?” He asked at the dinner table. Such a simple question, however, enacted a huge reaction from Neji. He threw his plate off the table as soon as the words exited shikamaru's mouth.
He sat in shock, never seeing such a display of emotion from the other man.
Neji stood still. Looking at the wooden bowl that rolled to the far side of the room.
“I’m sorry-“ shikamaru tried to apologize Reaching out to the man he loved, but being slapped away.
Neji hid away in their room, locking himself in.
Shikamru carefully knocked on the door, not wanting to freak out Neji even more.
“Neji” he said from the other side. “I’m sorry, please let me in”
“You promise to NEVER bring it up again!” Neji yelled from behind the door, his accent thickening from his emotions.
“I promise, please I promise Neji just let me in” he heard the door click, Neji sheepishly opened the door, his eyes full of guilt.
He didn't look shikamaru in the eye.
“I'm sorry neji, i shouldn't have said anything.”
From this day on, shikamaru didn't dare bring up the topic, no matter how much it worried him that neji just didn't eat.
Summer left, winter was here, the two would spend their nights huddled together under their covers hiding away from the cold. It was in times like these shikamaru was somewhat grateful that neji didn't eat much because it seemed as if his crops produced less and less as the days went on.
Less and less until the land was barren, thankfully though, shikamaru saved up of coure, eating small amounts of grain each night, neji sat there watching him and holding him in conversation.
One night in particular stands out to shikamaru, neji seems uncharacteristically restless, he was squirming and twitching, it was evident that he was trying to restrain himself from such movements but they continued to slip out anyways.
“Are you okay?” Shikamru asked, putting his wooden bowl down. Neji however did not respond, not verbally at least simply nodding his head and signaling with his hand that shikamaru continued eating.
Recently, Shikamru noticed how weak neji had been, his body looked thinner, and he had less energy to go to the market now. He chalked it up(and hoped) it was just the cold weather(and not the fact that he didn't eat).
But wait a minute, didn't he come from a place in the north, somewhere that winter runs rampant and for much longer, as well as being much harsher than winters experienced here in the south country.
He ignored it, he could only not ask neji about his eating habits, but was still nervous from the last time he brought up something to neji.
As the days continued, he couldn't help but notice Neji's deteriorating condition, so much so he worked up the nerve to ask neji.
”Please would you eat something.” he quietly said to the other man across the small table from him. He glanced up for just a second, he saw how Neji's eyes widened. Anger, but something else, fear, maybe shame? He could just hope for the best, if an argument was what it took for neji to eat something then so be it.
“I'm not hungry.” he said, shutting his eyes.
Shikamru clenched his jaw before speaking. “Your face is sinking in, you can barely make the trip to town anymore, I feel your bones beneath my fingers every night.” shikamaru felt his eyes strain, but held back the frustrated tears.
“Im. not. Hungry.” he said once more. His nonchalance irked shikamaru
“Thats bullshit, i know it is.” he got up, leaving neji alone at the table, he glanced back one more time, hoping neji may have finally gotten shikamaru's words through his thick skull, but there he sat, as if nothing happened, his eyes still shut as he took small sips of his tea. When he saw that neji simply didn't care, he left him and laid down in his bed.
He shut the light off but laid awake, waiting for neji to come into the bed, he would apologize and hold him tight, saying they'll talk about it tomorrow. But neji never came. He knew neji was stubborn, but so was he, so he stayed, and finally sleep swept him away.
It wasn't long after though, where the loud blizzard outside shook the house, waking him. Neji still wasn't with him, in a panic, he rushed out to the kitchen.
Neji was nowhere to be seen, his heart raced and his eyes darted around the small house. Neji wasn't inside, he looked out the window and heard the harsh winter wind. The man he loved with his entire being was outside in the dangerous storm, and it was his fault.
Guilt swallowed him whole, if only he ignored it. Neji would still be with him.
Without another thought he rushed outside, bracing the fast winds and screaming his name till he felt His mouth dry.
“Neji!”
“Neji! Please come home!” When he went out to the back, he knew neji liked to hang out there during the warm months.
“Neji!” He saw a thin figure with long hair blowing in all directions. A wave of relief washed over him, he sighed and ran over to his lover.
But getting closer, he noticed Neji's eyes were closed as the wind hurled at him. He dropped to his knees and hugged the other man.
“You're okay right? Please just talk to me.” he shook neji and tried to shake him back to consciousness. But then he looked up at Neji's hair for just a moment too long, it wasn't blowing in the wind carelessly, its movements almost snake-like, thoughtfully grabbing each rice grain. He turned neji around, only to be met with a hairy tendril wrapping around his neck.
“No shikamaru do not.” neji spoke almost silently, his voice was so hoarse. shikamaru widened his eyes and looked at Neji's still face. Frost looked like it had consumed him, snow piling on his dark eyelashes.
“What the hell.” he tried to remove the hair that wrapped around his neck.
“Do you mind?” a monster-like voice screeched at shikamaru's actions, causing neji to fall forward and grip his forehead.
“Stopit shikamaru please.” he saw tears fall from neji's eyes, his forehead glowing with a green seal on it. That was never there before. He looked over Neji's fallen body, and on the back of his head was a large monstrous mouth.
He thought he was going to throw up, it bled, as if he was hacked in the back of the head, he could see his skull split, and large sharp teeth and a long split tongue.
Loud screams came from the mouth, causing neji more pain in his forehead.
“FOOD!” it screamed, releasing shikamaru from its grasp. He stepped back, and neji weakly lifted his head to look at shikamaru. Hair flew in all directions, the little crops he had were gone, devoured by Neji's second mouth.
He watched in horror as the monster screamed for food, as neji gripped his forehead screaming in agony. His nails dug into his head and blood ran down his face.
He couldn't think, his eyes batting from the hair to Neji's screaming face.
Suddenly, his hair went limp, simply blowing in the wind. Neji crawled over to shikamaru slowly. “I am sorry.” shikamaru, too scared to move, stayed frozen in his spot, but his legs gave in from the cold, from the shock, dropping him down to his lover.
He brushed Neji's hair to one side, no sign of a mouth, no scarring, no axe wound, it was as if it never happened.
He was dreaming. He had to be dreaming, he was asleep, and neji was there sleeping and dreaming next to him.
“Shikamaru…” he slowly tried to assist him, but he was still frail as ice despite having eaten all of Shikamaru's crops. “I did not mean for this to happen.” neji was embarrassed, ashamed, but was too weak to run off. He let shikamaru walk him inside and lay him down on their bed. “This was not supposed to happen.” he said as shikamaru ran a cloth along the marks where nejis nails sunk into his forehead. Cleaning up the blood that was now dry.
“What was supposed to happen?” shikamaru asked
neji sighed and didn’t say a word, instead curled into shikamaru the minute he too laid down, closer than he ever had.
“I was so worried Neji” shikamaru held onto him tight. He hid his face in the crook of neji's neck, allowing his hair to fall over his face.
“I am sorry shikamaru.” The two fell asleep in eachothers arms, it was only 3 hours till daylight and those three hours were savored.
The sleep that overcame shikamaru was the deepest it had ever been, and when he woke up later than normal, he noticed a source of familiar warmth that was no longer by his side.
His heart immediately began to race, his head spun and he threw off the covers from on top of him. He once again ran outside to the same spot neji was in, thinking back to the horrid memory of the monster in the back of his head. He shut his eyes and hit his head, ignoring the image.
Neji was nowhere to be seen.
Hysterically he searched the house, the entire property, having lost hope. He went back inside, spotting a small note that he missed earlier.
He read it out loud, in between choked sobs and cries.
“My dearest shikamaru, I do not have much space to write, but the most important thing for you to know is that I am gone. Do not try and search for me, you will not find me. I am sorry you had to witness the outburst last night, I cannot live with the guilt, and having to look you in the eye after you saw my true form." Shikamaru didn't dare read the last sentence, knowing it’d kill him to see neji say he loved him. He crumpled the note and tossed it in the fireplace, lighting it up with a match.
He added every piece of wood and coal he could find into the ever growing fire, searched the room for the single photo he ever had drawn, the one of neji. Shikamru had secretly saved up money to commission a cheap local artist to paint neji, the artist so happy to even be commissioned to draw someone so beautiful even gave him a discount. The painting was spot on, catching neji's likelihood, it was shikamaru's most prized possession, neji had never even known about the small painting shikamaru kept with him.
When he found the small piece of paper, he walked himself out to the barn, where he found a rope and slowly tied it to one of the pillars of wood. He took in a breath as he smelled his house begin to catch on fire and smoke.
It wasn't until shikamaru's parents randomly visited their home town 5 years later that anyone found out that shikamaru had died, they stared in horror at the body of their son rotting along the barn floor, as his head equally as rotted stayed tied to the wooden pillar with the weakening rope. They threw a fire on him, watching his body turn to askes, collecting them in a small wooden box.
They shed their tears and bid farewells to their old neighbors, heading back on the road to their new house. A small shack in the north where they lived near a skilled ceramist.
“Sir.” They solemnly walked over to the decorated shack of the ceramist, keeping their heads down and placing a small wooden box on his table.
“Would you be so kind as to create a vase to put our son's ashes in.
“Of course” the ceramist had a look of sorrow on his face, it was a common thing he saw people ask for, vases for their parents' ashes, or maybe even for their spouses, but to see parents coming in getting a vase for their deceased son. How painful that must be.
“May I ask his name, to write on the bottom? The ceramist took out a pen and paper to jot down the name of the couple's son.
“Shikamaru nara.” his face shot up, his eyes wide.
“Shikamaru?” he repeated.
“Ahh , yes sorry, I can write it for you, we're originally from the southern country.” the father said, taking the pen and writing down his son's name.
“No it is that, I know a man named shikamaru.” the ceramist whispered, bringing his fingers up to his lips.
“Ah what a coincidence.” The woman gave a sad smile to the ceramist as they began to walk away. ”Thanks again, neji, we'll come back tomorrow with the money.”
“Do not bother. It is free.” neji said, sorrow sweeping over him. “That man does look like shikamaru.” he watched the couple walk off, and he too left his stand to work on the vase, and a single tear fell from his eyes.