The next day found Shikamaru and Neji standing before Hiashi trying to explain their relationship in a dignified and composed manner. Neji, at first did most of the speaking.

"Hiashi-sama," he said in a voice of forced calm. "I told you yesterday, but, in the face of the past day's…events, I didn't receive a response from you in regards to my intimate relationship with Nara Shikamaru. And I would like to get right to the point." He stopped and took a breath, his eyes flashing once to Shikamaru, sitting supportively beside him.

"Do you approve or disapprove?" the brunette finished. He looked at his uncle with an expression he hoped was calm and aloof, but he knew that some of his nervousness shown in his eyes, now sparkling a light hesitant silver. Hiashi held his gaze for a moment and then sighed.

"I cannot pretend to empathize with you in your choice of a lover," he said. Neji's face visibly fell. Hiashi continued.

"But I can empathize with you in your choice to love," he finished. "And that, ultimately, cancels out any and all doubts I have about this situation. To put it plainly, I approve." Neji blinked and a small smile found its way to his face. He felt a slight warm pressure on his hand as Shikamaru held it tightly and he felt something happy and light well up within him.

"But," Hiashi said, now looking down to the ground. Neji and Shikamaru froze. The prodigy's uncle looked awkward and slightly guilty.

"But, I cannot speak for the other elders," he said. "And though my opinion on this matter is very influential they can override my decision to allow this." Neji looked at him and swallowed, his happiness slipping slowly away from him. He opened his mouth to speak but found that he couldn't. He looked desperately to Shikamaru and the Nara spoke for him.

"Have you discussed this with them?" he asked seriously. Hiashi nodded, his eyes turning hard and cold at the irritating and frustrating memory.

"I have," he said. "But they, my father especially, have chosen to withhold judgment and are supposedly discussing this right now. They have refused to speak with anyone else all day, and I don't think you'd be able to see them right now. I'm sorry." Neji sighed softly and walked over to his uncle. Awkwardly placing a hand on the older Hyuuga's shoulder, Neji tried to summon up a look of reassurance.

"Don't, Uncle," he said. "I honestly didn't think you would approve of me having a homosexual relationship. I'm just glad that you…aren't repulsed by the concept." Hiashi looked at him and offered a small and slightly tense smile.

"I owe it to you, your father and myself to try and understand you," he said. "And accepting your choice of a romantic relation is one of the biggest steps towards that goal." Neji nodded and felt true gratitude surge through him towards his uncle. Their relationship was still a little shaky and uncertain, but it was based on a small mutual concern and affection that both had for the other, and that feeling was slowly becoming stronger and more firm.

"Arigato, Hiashi-sama," Neji said. "Thank you for trying to understand." He turned and started to leave but Hiashi stopped him.

"I'll alert you when the elders are ready to talk about this," he said seriously. Neji fought back a flinch and nodded.

"Arigato," he said, his voice drenched with stiff politeness. "If I have your leave, I should be going." Hiashi nodded and Neji quickly left the Compound with Shikamaru, the latter glancing nervously at the former.

"Are you okay?" the Nara asked Neji seriously, his hand comfortingly on the Hyuuga's shoulder once they were safely out of distance of Hiashi's ear. Neji sighed, not knowing how to answer.

"I'm just afraid they'll disapprove," he said softly. Shikamaru was saddened slightly by the timidity in Neji's voice. Slowly, he sat his lover down on a nearby bench, lowering himself down beside the Hyuuga. He leaned nervously towards him and put a comforting arm around Neji's shoulders, pulling the unsure shinobi into him.

"So am I," he said, his tone only hinting slightly at his own unsure worried attitude. "It'll be okay, though. I promise." Neji nodded, his eyes on the ground, his brow creased with anticipation. The Nara placed his hand on Neji's chin and forced the brunette's face to look at his own. When the Hyuuga's eyes were locked with the Nara's, the latter leaned in slowly and softly kissed his lover. Neji closed his eyes and kissed back, his arms finding their way to Shikamaru's shoulders to cling to the other desperately. When they pulled away, Neji whispered softly, "I don't want to lose this. I don't want to lose you." Shikamaru smirked and shook his head.

"It's too bad Naruto didn't put a stop to your pessimism during that Chuunin match," he chuckled. "You make it sound like they've already made up their minds." Neji smiled apologetically and closed his eyes, leaning into Shikamaru and letting his head rest on the Nara's chest. He knew that there was little chance that the elders would agree to let him continue his relationship with Shikamaru. The Nara knew this as well, and that attested to why he was holding Neji so tightly. He wasn't willing to let go of his perfect life with his perfect love any more than the Hyuuga was willing to.

"Oi! Neji-chan! Shika-chan! What's going on!?" Neji and Shikamaru instinctively pulled away from the other in alarm but relaxed when they saw it was only Naruto. The Uzumaki's grin was large and sly, the blonde having just seen Neji and Shikamaru embracing, and he stopped a few feet in front of them, with his arms folded.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked mischievously. Neji raised an eyebrow and fixed Naruto with one of his famous glares. Naruto squirmed a little under the intense stare. Shikamaru smirked and shook his head.

"No, you're not, Uzumaki," he said. He quickly flashed a glance at Neji and held the other's gaze for a moment. Neji nodded slightly and the Nara turned his head back to Naruto.

"But something is going on that you should know about," he said, his tone becoming one of lazy seriousness. Naruto's brows slowly creased and his grin slowly faded from his face.

"What's going on?" he asked, uncharacteristically solemn. The Nara sighed and looked to Neji quickly before continuing.

"To put it simply," he explained. "Neji's curse seal was activated for far too long yesterday and the situation became so critical that Tsunade-sama had to step in. The seal was activated while Neji was telling the Hyuuga elders about his relationship with me. We have Hiashi's approval, but no one else's." Naruto blinked as he processed the information and then Neji and Shikamaru felt his chakra flare angrily, and Neji could've swore he felt some of that furious red chakra he'd felt during the Chuunin exams. The Hyuuga stood in alarm as Naruto turned and started to march in the direction of the Hyuuga Compound, but Shikamaru already had an arm on the blonde's, restraining him.

"Where are you going, Naruto?" he asked seriously, his voice firm. Naruto growled.

"To the Hyuuga Compound," he said through gritted teeth. The Nara shook his head.

"No you're not," he said. "As flattering as your actions would be, I'm not going to risk seeing Neji hurt again. And angering the elders is the perfect way to take that risk, so you're going to be a good little ninja and stay away from the Compound." He looked at the Uzumaki, eyes narrowed and Naruto held his gaze for a moment, before nodding curtly. Shikamaru let go of his arm and sat back down, Neji following in kind, albeit slightly reluctantly at seeing Naruto remain on his feet, his eyes still flashing dangerously in the direction of the Compound. The blonde turned to the Hyuuga and the Nara and said angrily, "You don't mind if I tell all my friends about this, do you? Good." Without waiting for an answer, Naruto sped off, leaving Neji and Shikamaru sitting a little perplexedly on the bench. The brunette sighed and shook his head.

"I have a feeling he isn't going to tell it like it is," he said. Shikamaru smirked and shook his head.

"Nope," he agreed. "He's going to blow it way out of proportion and say that you actually died and Tsunade-sama had to use her most difficult healing techniques to bring you back to life." Neji, despite himself, grinned.

"He's always good at making someone smile, though," he remarked. The Nara turned to face him and grinned.

"So are you," he said. "Well, when it's me you're trying to get a smile out of." Neji smirked and faced Shikamaru, holding his gaze. The two leaned in, as if pulled by the other, and their lips touched. It was innocent and chaste at first, but it became a little more than innocent when Shikamaru's tongue slipped into Neji's mouth and when Neji's hands started fumbling with the Nara's jacket. From there it escalated, until Neji and Shikamaru were forced to pull away, both suddenly remembering where they were. Neji was slightly flushed but Shikamaru only smirked, grabbing the Hyuuga's hand and leading the brunette prodigy to their shared apartment.

As soon as the door was closed, the Nara finished what he started and stripped Neji of his clothes, the Hyuuga returning the favor shortly thereafter.

Perhaps it was the prospect of losing the one they loved so much, but the sex was more pleasurable than either ever remembered it being. Shikamaru set a fast pace and teased just the right amount, enticing the desperate needy groans from Neji that he loved hearing so much. Neji's body was soon covered in sweat, whether his own or Shikamaru's he didn't know, and his breathing was erratic and heavy. His hair was plastered to his back and the pillow and he spent the better part of the sex gripping the Nara's shoulders, crying out for more. He couldn't help it. The soft feel of Shikamaru's skin on his own, though he loved every moment of it, was not enough to satisfy his lust; his insatiable hunger for more touching, more caressing, more pleasure. Shikamaru, sensing this had increased the pace more, now understanding that both had the same craving, the same desire. Even if there was some pain, that only increased the awesome and addictive sensation.

When they had finished, Neji had curled up against Shikamaru, ignoring the wetness of the sheets and had fallen asleep. Shikamaru had smiled and tenderly kissed the top of his sweet Hyuuga's head and made a silent promise to himself. There was absolutely no way in hell he was going to let go of this.

True to his word, Hiashi alerted Neji and Shikamaru when the elders expressed a desire in speaking with Neji about his relationship. Both Shikamaru and Neji soon made their way back to the Hyuuga Compound and found Hinata waiting outside, along with Naruto and basically the rest of the rookie nine as well as Neji's team. Lee gave Neji and Shikamaru a thumbs up and was absolutely stunned when Neji returned the gesture, though not as wholeheartedly. Naruto grinned and wished Neji and Shikamaru good luck, having been forbidden from entering the Hyuuga Compound on the grounds that he was not a Hyuuga and was not directly involved in the situation at hand.

Shikamaru and Neji were summoned to the room in which Neji had tried to tell the elder and his uncle about him and the Nara's relationship when the elder had activated his curse seal. Currently, all of the Hyuuga elders were in this room, along with Hiashi. Hinata had been denied access to this one meeting but had insisted fervently that she be allowed to stay with her cousin and his lover. Through the combined efforts of Shino and Kiba she was calmed and agreed to wait outside with the rest of her friends.

"I'll get right to the point," Hiashi's father spoke, stepping forward. "Your choice to love one of the same gender is frowned upon by all here, with the exception of your uncle, apparently, and he is the only reason we have gathered to discuss this with you." Neji felt the familiar surge of gratitude towards his uncle and he struggled to fight the small smile that threatened. The elder continued.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" he asked, making no effort to hide the scorn in his voice. Neji met the elder's hard gaze with an unwavering stare and answered.

"I have to say what I almost succeeded in saying one day ago," he said bitterly. "And I hope to finish the thought completely this time." The elder narrowed his eyes, and Shikamaru quickly flashed a glance of warning to Neji, before the brunette Hyuuga continued.

"I am in love with Nara Shikamaru and I know that that feeling is mutual," he said, flashing a small smile to Shikamaru beside him. "I've been living with him for one year and have decided, after much debate and arguing, that you should know." He stopped and looked at the elders, his eyes far from expectant. Beside him, Shikamaru looked on just as nervously. To say that the elders were scornful would be an understatement. Their eyes flashed the same deadly storm cloud grey and their faces were twisted with a barely concealed fury. Their hands were all down by their sides and they were too still to be calm. Hiashi watched apprehensively, his mind working feverishly. He wanted Neji to be happy, and he knew that Shikamaru made him so, but he knew that the elders would never accept this kind of relationship, even if it was a Branch member. Hiashi's brow creased slightly as he tried to think of anything he could do that might persuade the elders to allow this relationship to be.

"We thank you for telling us of this occurrence," a different elder spoke, stepping forward and glaring at Neji and Shikamaru. "And we will have you know that we understand the feelings of love and devotion that you no doubt feel for each other. However, the seeking of these feelings in one of the same gender as oneself is appalling and revolting. We cannot allow a member of the Hyuuga clan, Branch member or not, to have this kind of relation." His speech finished, he stepped back to his companions and waited for Hiashi's father to close the unnecessary meeting.

Neji's chest tore and he looked down. To be told that you're not allowed to have a homosexual relationship is one thing, but to have your own sexuality insulted because of it is another thing entirely. To be perfectly frank, it hurt. A lot.

Shikamaru looked at Neji's down cast form beside him and knew what the brunette was going through. He turned back to the elders, an angry spark in his eyes. How dare they take advantage of Neji's position? How dare they mock the one thing that they had not already taken away from him? How dare they hurt him!?

Shikamaru angrily took a step forward, standing protectively in front of his koi. His intimidating black eyes narrowed and he glowered at the elders.

"You should watch what you say," he said. "He's not the only one in this relationship. I'm in it too. And you don't insult him without insulting me. And you don't insult me without insulting the rest of my family. And I would think you'd want to avoid the predicament that would land you in. And besides, Neji's uncle already agreed to our relationship, and his good opinion counts a lot." He looked quickly to Hiashi, hoping to get some form of agreement and was pleasantly surprised when he saw the man nod, his expression solemn and his eyes serious. The elders looked to Hiashi and the head Hyuuga's father spoke up.

"We are all aware of my son's opinion on this matter," he said. "But his alone is not enough to sway our decision—"

"Well, he's got my vote," the Nara said, smirking at the rather shocked looks on the elders' faces. Neji nodded and stepped next to Shikamaru.

"I agree as well," he said, hardly daring to be hopeful. He reached over to the Nara and grabbed his hand beneath his sleeve, turning slightly pink when Shikamaru squeezed his fingers lightly.

"I-I'm for their relationship t-too." Neji and Shikamaru whirled around and smiled when they saw Hinata standing by the door, her face set and her fists clenched in determination. Her face was red from the embarrassment of having directly disobeyed the explicit directions of the elders, but she calmed when Neji hurried to stand supportively by her side. He smiled at her and awkwardly put his arm around her shoulder; the first reassuring and genuinely affectionate gesture he had ever really shown her. She blushed more, but leaned into him. Shikamaru smirked and put a hand on her shoulder and she smiled at him. She turned to her father, hoping for approval and felt her heart flutter with pride when he smiled and nodded at her. Her expression became serious, though, as she turned her gaze on the elders.

"As the daughter of the head of the Hyuuga clan," she said, her voice unusually firm. "My opinion is worth something as well. And my opinion just happens to be in favor of allowing my cousin's relationship with Nara Shikamaru to continue." Neji couldn't help but gawk at her, clear surprise showing all over his face. He had never known that Hinata could be so authoritative. It shocked him that she could be so firm, not to say that he wasn't grateful. Shaking himself out of his reverie, Neji turned serious eyes on the Hyuuga elders as well. They were starting to look very flustered. As influential as they were, they did not rank as high as Hiashi, and they certainly didn't rank as high as the combination of Hiashi and Hinata. They couldn't well ignore their insistence to allow this disgusting affair to continue, and they couldn't well activate Neji's curse seal, for fear that Hiashi, Hinata and or Shikamaru would seriously hurt them. They'd heard about the head of clan's dangerous threats when the man's father activated the brunette's curse seal, and they did not want to go there.

Cursing, Hiashi's father stepped forward. His cruel gaze fixed itself on Neji and he spoke on a low, controlled growl.

"You have all made your point," he said through gritted teeth. "The relationship of Hyuuga Neji and Nara Shikamaru will be ignored and allowed. For the time being, anyway. There will be no further mentioning of this subject." Neji's eyes widened and he couldn't suppress the smile that spread across his face as he heard those words, even if they were begrudgingly spoken. He turned to Hinata and absentmindedly brought his arms up around her in an expression of pure joy and relief. She smiled against him and lifted her arms up around him, returning the gesture of happiness. A moment later, she pulled away and allowed Shikamaru to have access to his lover. The Nara only shook his head, smirking to hide the pure relief within him and pulled Neji into a searing embrace, lips locking onto the other's. Neji smiled against him, blushed and kissed back. Beside them, Hinata beamed. A ways away, ignoring the elders file angrily out of the room, a proud Hiashi stood, watching his nephew smile in ways he had never seen him smile since the death of his father. It made him very content to see Neji so happy and he finally felt as though he had done something that might help him atone for his past actions and behavior towards his nephew. He was off to a good start, he supposed.

Shikamaru pulled away from Neji and pulled the brunette Hyuuga into a loving and warm embrace just as Naruto and all the other shinobi burst into the room.

"I just can't take it anymore!" the Uzumaki whined. "What the hell happened!?" Neji pulled away from the Nara, his face shockingly bright, the epitome of happiness.

"They approved," he said, his voice for once revealing everything he felt. "Now we don't have to hide our relationship." His eyes widened as he said this, as though realizing for the first time the extent of what that meant. Turning back to Shikamaru, the prodigy claimed the Nara's lips in yet another fervent kiss, reveling in his newly discovered freedom to do so without having to hide it. Shikamaru smirked into the kiss and pressed his lips against the Hyuuga's. Naruto grinned from the sidelines.

"Yes!" he shouted. Lee clenched a fist and wiped his arm dramatically across his eyes, wiping away inhumanly large tears.

"Ah, finally the weak sparks of love and intimacy can grow and burn into a raging fire of passionate romance and youthful YOUTH!!" he shouted. Neji pulled away from Shikamaru, chuckling.

"Well said, Lee," he said, winking. Lee blushed and his huge grin grew, rivaling Naruto's. Tenten smiled.

"About damn time they came to their senses," she said, her tone disdainful yet happy. Neji shook his head.

"Don't let them hear you say that, Tenten," he said. The kunoichi smirked.

"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm just saying what everyone's thinking." Neji grinned at her.

"Touché," he said. Tenten nodded and the lovers continued to talk with their friends about this new and positive development in their lives, until Hiashi stepped forward and ushered all but Hinata, Neji and Shikamaru from the room. Once the four of them were alone, the eldest Hyuuga turned to his nephew.

"I'm sorry to have made you worry," he said. "I hope now that you will finally be able to experience the happiness that was once so foreign to you." Neji smiled and bowed.

"Arigato, Hiashi-sama," he said. "I'm so grateful that you approved." Hiashi nodded.

"It was the least I could do considering how I've acted towards you these past years," he said. "Now, it seems, I've only to make amends with Hinata." The ebon haired Hyuuga blushed as Hiashi turned to smile at her.

"Is there anything you don't think I will approve of that you haven't told me about?" he asked. Hinata opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water, her face getting slowly and steadily redder. Neji smiled.

"I'm sure there is, Uncle," he said slyly. Beside him, Shikamaru smirked and bit back a chuckle.

"Yeah, there's some blonde guy who's got the hots for old Hinata-san, here," he said. "I forget his name, though. Neji, do you know what it is?" Hinata flashed her cousin a glare and Neji ignored it.

"You know, in the face of all that's happened, I completely blanked out," he said. "Hinata-sama should know, though. What is his name, again?" He smirked at Hinata's death glare and just stepped back into Shikamaru, chuckling. The girl, red as a beet, turned to her father and did just what was expected of her.

She fainted.

Additional chptr, written at G.L.G.'s request. I hope it turned out ok, I wasn't as pleased with it as I thought. Depending on what people think I may revise it.

Complete and total happy fluffy ending. I was in a giddy mood when I wrote this. ;P

Vague sex scene, I'm no good with lemons.

Review please!