Chapter Text
No one told him life would be hard when all you do
is build up walls keeping yourself in from the pain of the world.
He..
Neji Hyuga always knew he was different
from a young age the word prodigy always floated around him...
But, not the matter of that was the difference in because he always knew he'd be strong.
It was his way of seeing, perceiving and thinking of things that he felt different in.
Even in his cold state he always pushed on others that wasn't him it was the Neji he had been forced to grow into.
He always felt foreign in that skin but, it was the only way to keep himself from being hurt. Trusting was a hard concept for him.
Never again...
Never again....
would he be hurt by someone coming and leaving
keeping the emotions away was the best way to go
even if it hurt
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16
He had made it to a age he never thought would rightfully come. And apparently his so-called friends thought so too, because Tenten told Sakura...who told Ino... who told Naruto...and now it was a whole thing.
SO he was forced to a dinner he didn't even care to go to. He'd rather stay home and read for all he cared for.
They were all lucky Hinata had such damn good puppy dog eyes, and he could never say no to that. Alot has happened since his broody early tween years. From nearly killing his cousin now called sister to being angry at those who didn't deserve it. He still had certain ways and walls but, he made some good memories a lot the way.
And friends apparently.
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"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!"
the chorus of teen voices was enough to turn a few heads.Loud wasn't even the word for this predicament.
Neji smiled softly through the slight embarrassment and Narutos' arm that slung over his shoulder.there sat at the table with him was sakura, ino, hinata, tenten, lee, naruto, kiba and suprisingly shikamaru the guy he came to learn hated large crowds. Out of them all he'd grown closest to the younger boy who seemed to have similar interests as him.
He rolled his eyes and blew out the few candles on the cake. The action alone filled him with a brief surge of happiness he couldn't explain. There were a few whoops and claps that came shortly after.
Tenten sat beside him, elbow on the table, chin in her palm as she watched his reaction with a knowing smirk.
“I told you this wouldn’t kill you,” she whispered.
He rolled his eyes, but the corners of his lips betrayed him. “I didn’t say it would kill me. I said it was unnecessary.”
“Same thing with you,” she teased.
Naruto grinned on his other side with the enthusiasm of a golden retriever unleashed. “C’mon Neji! You’re sixteen! You can’t just hide in your room meditating away your practically grown now.”
he poked Nejis cheek.
“That sounds perfectly acceptable,” Neji replied blandly, flicking the fingers away.
Kiba snorted. “Yeah, well, too bad. You’re stuck with us now.” He tried to whip off a dip of frosting, but Ino popped his hand away.
Across the table, Hinata offered him a shy but radiant smile gentler than Naruto’s, less intrusive than Tenten’s, but somehow the one that eased something inside him most.
“We… just wanted to celebrate you,” she said. “If that’s okay.”
Nejis eyes swept over them all his joy pushing down that usual loneliness he felt.
"It's more than enough" he gave the tiniest, rare smile. Ino and Sakura "awed"
Leaning back against the plastic booth seat came a yawn from Shikamaru. "don't get too sentimental birthday boy. " Those lazy eyes glazed up at his making Neji's chest heave abruptly. Luckily his face stayed normal unlike his heart.
"You might make one of us shed a tear"
Ino groaned " quit it Shikamaru, let us have this rare Neji moment it could be eons before it comes again" kiba cackled at the comment but Neji only ignored the joke.
"Who's ready for cake?"
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The random gifts he didn't quite hate but, it all felt a tad bit too much and did they think he was supposed to mysteriously carry 12 things home varying from different sizes.
Kami. He wished some people used their brains properly but, that came with this group. Luckily after the night was over Shikamaru popped up the idea of 'helping him carry the gifts home' Neji knew it was a ploy just to find an excuse to walk him home.
Neji didn't mind, not at all. To him the Nara was very puzzling and a concealed man. He can never guess what's on the boys' mind, and it's as if his thoughts were always 50 steps ahead. It frustrated Neji but also exited him at the same time, it was rare to find someone where you couldn't guess their personality in five seconds.
He wasn't the only smarty-pants around here.
"16 huh,its like time flew by fast from the first time we met ...which i don't even remember." The Nara commented in the silence as they trudged the birthday boxes. Neji shook his head with a sigh.
"Sadly, if I had met you back then i'd find you a nuisance"
Shikamaru peered at him through a lazy hooded eye."So im not one now? is what your saying"
"you have your moments. "Neji muttered earning a soft chuckle from the other.
"Troublesome..i mean i wouldn't have really bothered you back then anyways..."He looked up at the night sky.The moon glowed through the darkened branches" Too serious and all..."
"Oh?"
"I mean not that you were bad or anything, you were just troubled or whatever"
Neji hummed quietly his own eyes finding the moon the object that ever so matched his eyes. They had made it to the compound.
'Troubled...is that how people saw him?' He shook his head.
"Man, you're really gonna let me in here?"
"let's go Nara"
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Shikamaru plopped a spot on Nejis bed tryna find whatever comfortable spot he was hoping to achieve. Nejis room was simple and quite bare he didn't know how anyone let alone a teen could be so plain.
"Man, how do you sleep on this rock-" Neji glanced over in a side eye and raised brow.
Shikamaru put up his hands in defense "I- maybe I'm not used to it"
"good...don't try to be" Neji kneeled "help me stack these in the closet" It was the gifts from earlier.
The younger groaned slightly but he had one of those simple smirks on his face.
"You're lucky it's your birthday." he grumbled faking annoyance.
"You'll live"
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After spending the rest of the weighted night playing a few games of shoji and keep conversation minimal shikamaru stretched his arms over his head. His bones popped in places he didn't even know he had, Neji simply rolled his eyes.
"Well i guess I had my fair share it's probably 3 in the morning and if I'm not home in the morning Ma will freak out" He yawned with dramatics.
"You need to take care of your body...that did not sound normal" Neji said simply as he gathered the peices off of his room floor.
Shikamaru chuckled as he slipped his shoes on.
"Is that worry I hear?"
"Don't flatter yourself Nara"
Both males stood by the olders room door. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck with a small, tired smirk that always made Nejis feel a type of way "yea,yea night"
Neji sighed breaking the eye contact before his heart physically couldnt take it.
"Night Nara"
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It was nearly 5am as Neji laid awake in his bed. The sun wouldn't be up for another 3hours,so the moon and stars continued to twinkle in his window. Things felt they were coming together for him but, why did he feel the need to still keep himself guarded. His chest ached with that deep unknown he hates.
He was finally happy or at least he thought he was why couldn't he shake the feeling that this would end as fast as it came.