Title: The Woes of a Bachelor in Love
Author: Three AM
Disclaimer: Everything is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.
/N: Language warning! One-shot. ShikaSaku.

xxxxxx

She is standing there, barely five feet away from us. She is wearing a beautiful silk green dress, draping her body like a second skin and showing every curves and womanly assets I never notice she has. Her outrageous pink hair falls gloriously down her back, so smooth and shiny like the beautiful waterfall in the middle of the Leaf forest. And her lips, so red against her snowy complexion. So full and inviting.

And so damn kissable.

I can almost understand why he cannot take his eyes off her.

I sigh loudly, still watching my long time best friend ogle her for the past three minutes. I look down on my watch as the longer hand ticks to the next number. Four minutes. I grit my teeth and narrow my eyes, hoping he'll finally notice that there ARE, believe it or not, other people surrounding him and her in this party tonight.

I slide my gaze to her again, then back at him, who is STILL watching her.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes, only for the respect I hold for my best friend. He is supposed to be smarter than this! Hell, he IS a Jounin General and Jounins our age don't look like pathetic drooling fools.

Now I'm thinking there might be an exception tonight.

"Why don't you just go over there and say hi or something?" I snap at him, my patience treading on thin line. Fuck, but no best friend of mine will look like an idiot all for the name of…

Name of what exactly?

"What?" his startled gaze turns to me. And he rejoins the world.

"Welcome back," I say, taking short drink from my beer-filled glass.

He narrows his eyes at me in confusion. This time, I don't fight the urge to roll my eyes.

"Hello, how are you doing? You lookin' exceptionally beautiful tonight, Sakura. Wanna dance with me?" I say casually, watching him blush and widen his eyes. Then he scowls at me.

The bastard, I smile inwardly. He has a lot of nerve to be irritated at me. When I'm here and she's there and his eyes and attention are all aim at her. Since the beginning of this thanksgiving party.

I sigh. Certainly the woes of a bachelor in love are…

Wait a minute. Does that mean…?

"What are you on about?" he asks me, shifting in his feet almost nervously.

"What are YOU on about?" I ask back. "What's up with ogling Sakura?"

Surprisingly, I hear his sharp intake of breath amidst the loud noise of the blaring music and merry laughter. Almost as if drawn, his eyes go back at her one more time.

And then it hit me.

"Are you in—?"

I stop, feeling my whole body freeze in an instant. If only I can move even just my lips I will fucking swear at him. That damn bastard!

"Quiet Chouji!" he hisses at me, his eyes instantly taking in our surroundings. I know he is looking for anyone who might have heard (and realized) what I am about to say. Just in what dimension is he in tonight? Haven't he noticed that hey, everyone in Leaf is partying like hell and my casual "almost" question can't have been heard by the ants trailing near our feet over the ear-piercing music?

Man, he is so damn in it.

Once again, his black eyes glare at me. "What if someone hears you? What if they get the wrong impression?"

I raise my brow inwardly, as of course I still can't move. You fucker! How can I answer when you've got me in your damn shadow manipulation! Lift if off man!

"I'm not in love with her!" he yells. Whoa dude, defensive now are we?

And how does he know that I'm about to say what he just said?

"I'm NOT in love with her, Chouji!" he insists again. And again, his eyes slide over to her. And again (for the umpteenth time), I don't think he notices that he does that.

"She's… She… Fuck, but she's…" I watch him as he struggles with whatever words he wants to say. Damn, but I never thought that I'll ever live to see the day my best friend finally loses himself over some girl. And fucking stammering at that!

This is certainly a once in a lifetime and I definitely would have been laughing if only I can move an inch.

And I most certainly never thought the day will come that I'll be helping my best friend realize his own fucking feelings for some girl. This is priceless indeed!

After one whole minute has passed, and maybe he realizes that I'm as quiet as a tomb when I should be teasing and mocking him, he finally lifts his ninjutsu off me. I breathe out heavily, thoroughly relieved. Somewhere in the noisy-filled atmosphere, I hear him apologize to me.

"For what?" I ask. Revenge is best served cold, dude. "For freezing me or for being in love?" I ask bluntly.

"Chouji!" he hisses warningly, his dark eyes glaring at me. Hah! Like that will intimidate me.

"What the fuck are you saying!" he says in a low voice, stepping closer to me. "And will you fucking pipe down? I will NOT have the whole village know of some… some… misconception about me and—"

"Sakura!" I shout over the blaring music.

That certainly freezes him. Serves him right.

I smirk at him as I look in the direction of the pink girl and her friends. Maybe she can't hear me, as she's still laughing with that loud Naruto.

C'mon, look over here! Just one glance, one smile. Just one wave for my best friend!

Sakura, look over here!

And maybe the fate isn't too horrible with me tonight, for when she FINALLY glances our way, she waves her hand. And smiles her very beautiful smile.

I don't have to turn around to see him staring at her again, seemingly frozen like a deer caught in the headlights.

Hey, that's a cute simile!

I hold up my glass to her in a silent salute. I drink from my beer again, taking in the raving party around me. Drinks and foods are openly displayed along a dozen long tables. I eye the plates of roasted turkeys again. Maybe I'll have another round with it later on.

Almost everyone is dancing. There isn't a need for a dance floor because everyone seems to be dancing almost anywhere. Hell, is that… that… Asuma kissing Kurenai in the middle of the street!

Damn. I swear if it isn't for the festive lanterns scattered along the streets, I will think this night is a Valentine's party.

Without saying anything more to my best friend, I saunter toward Sakura and her groupie. Immediately, I hear him protest and yell my name. I ignore him as I plaster a friendly smile and face Sakura.

"Hello!" I greet her. She looks surprised for a second before smiling back at me.

"Hi," she greets back, her green eyes a bit questioning.

"May I have a short dance with you?" I bow my head a bit lower, trying to look gallant. I see them all look surprised, but she just laughs and takes my hand.

I swear I can feel his dark glaring eyes drilling into my back.

The music playing is fast and upbeat, but instead of swaying our hips suggestively and hopping up and down, I hold her hand and put my other hand in her waist. And without further ado, I initiate our dance, swaying her left and right. I think we look like a mismatched couple in misunderstood love.

I suddenly chuckle, wondering about my best friend who is positively frozen and potentially livid with me.

"What's so funny?" Sakura asks, tilting her head to one side.

"This night," I answer. "The revelations I find tonight are simply astounding."

She raises a brow in question but I just smile widely at her. Looking at her this close, I can certainly see why my best friend fancies her. She is, without a doubt, very pretty. Her bright green eyes are mesmerizing. Her smile is honest and enthralling.

I wonder when will my best friend gets out of his frozen furious stupor and cuts in our dance. Or will I have to direct her myself to him?

I sigh inwardly. I know he is not crazy about women, like most men do. But god, I never know he is THIS pathetic about women!

As I am about to swing her toward the corner where I used to hang around like a reluctant company with my best friend, I suddenly feel a hand stilling my shoulder. I turn around, stopping for a second, before grinning knowingly.

"May I cut in?" he asks, gritting his teeth and not so obviously glowering at me.

I take a step back away from my best friend's girl and happily reply, "Of course you may!"

"Take you that fucking long eh, Shikamaru?" I mutter under my breath as he openly scowls at me.

Still with the wide grin on my face, I turn to the shocked girl at our side. "Thank you for the lovely dance, Sakura. And you do look very beautiful tonight. My best buddy here thinks so!"

I quickly turn around to escape and deliberately hit into the once again frozen Shikamaru. Right into Sakura's lips.

I don't plan to dally around to witness the ending of the most shocking revelation tonight. Or… erase that. The START of the most shocking and unexpected revelation this night.

I know right then and there that the fate isn't horrible with me. Certainly not, and not for my best friend too. Indeed, I think Shikamaru's stars are out tonight for the music suddenly switches to a slow tantalizing dance.

I whistle happily, right in tune with the music, as I make my way toward the buffet. Ah, love is certainly in the air tonight.

xxxxxx

End.