Shikamaru studied the tendons on his hand, forehead creasing in a frown.
"Well?"
Shikamaru glanced at the other boy sitting beside him and watching him expectantly, as if waiting for him to do something entertaining and end the day on a high note. Shikamaru stuck his tongue out at him.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh, so very mature."
Shikamaru shrugged, pretending to be occupied staring at his nails.
"Well? You going to tell him now or what?"
"Shh."
"Shh?"
Shikamaru gave him a withered look. "I'm thinking."
The blonde crossed his arms with an angry huff. They were quiet a few more seconds, letting the strict wind coming in onto the school's roof soothe them. Shikamaru flexed his fingers once more before finally clutching one of the metal bars with both hands, resting his face on the vertical pole that connected it and the ones above.
"How did you do it?"
Naruto raised a curious eyebrow.
"How did I what, exactly?"
Don't play dumb! an irritated voice in his head growled, but Shikamaru kept the thought to himself. He shrugged feebly instead, suddenly feeling crippled at the nervous swell in his chest.
"How did... you know. You do it?"
Naruto swept a lock of blonde hair over his shoulder, blinking the little strands that blew in his face away.
"It was Sasuke who brought up the courage to admit that he loved me." Naruto smirked at him crookedly. "Mine came much later."
It was surprising, to say the least. Shikamaru had always thought of Naruto as the more obstinate, always in touch with his feelings. Loud, boisterous, yet caring and sentimental... Then came the vague memory of him holding a dying bird in elementary school, sobbing over its loss while Chouji and Kiba attempted to cheer him up. Shikamaru's frown deepened as he remembered being the one to say, 'It's just a stupid bird. It doesn't matter because it doesn't have feelings.' But at least he had stopped when the boy began to cry harder, patting him on the back and calming him with promises of a proper burial.
"And how did that go?"
"I hooked him!" Naruto said proudly, patting a nonexistent muscle on his skinny arm. The conjured image of Sasuke with a shiner made Shikamaru laugh, and together they shared a brief spell of uncontrollable giggles (or chuckles, in Shikamaru's case. He did not giggle).
Naruto wiped a tear from his eye, the same color of blue as the sky they gazed upon now.
"But even if I did, inside I felt elated." His smile vanished briefly, as if regretting the amount of force he'd used after all. But it came back, brighter than before. "Wonderfully worthless idiot, he is!"
Shikamaru wondered if they were still talking about the same Sasuke but nodded anyway, looking up into the sky as well.
There was not a single cloud.
-
Shikamaru fidgeted in his seat at the lunch table, frowning in contempt.
Okay. So he hadn't seen Sai yet. But he didn't have morning classes with him, so that was to be expected. Still, despite knowing it wasn't the best place to confess one's feelings, he had hoped to at least catch a glimpse of Sai in the hallway, if only for the sake of seeing him. He sighed in discontent, rooted to the spot. He still wasn't sure how to get this out, or even if he would be right now if everyone wasn't pressuring him. Stupid Naruto with his experience and Kiba with his sudden support and enthusiasm. Some friends.
Shikamaru folded his arms, letting his forehead collide with the cold surface of the table. He groaned.
"Excuse me, Shikamaru."
He peaked out from between his arms. "Yeah?"
Shino raised an eyebrow (or he probably did, his hair seemed to have grown out over them, and the glasses only helped in disguising them further) and, with a sigh, inquired, "Is it true - about you and Sai being together, I mean?"
Shikamaru covered his face. "Please restate the question using blunter terms."
"That isn't fair. I feel I was blunt enough." Shino just didn't get sarcasm.
"Yes, it is," another voice cut in proudly. Shikamaru, realizing it was Kiba, gave another zombified groan.
"So when do you plan on telling him, anyway?" Aw, shit. Not Sasuke, too!
"Look, guys," Shikamaru grumbled, finally removing his head from the crook of his arms. "I don't mean to cut in on your only form of entertainment, but I honestly don't think I can do this today. I don't even know where the hell I'm supposed to find him."
Kiba coughed, blushing. The group turned to look at him, accompanied by the newly arrived Naruto and Chouji, their trays absolutely stacked.
"Shikamaru?" Chouji said in a grave voice. "I think there's something you should know."
He was suddenly aware of the heavy aura that had settled in. His eyebrows knit together as he scowled at them.
"Oh, what is it now?"
They stood very still except for Sasuke, who slipped into a seat beside him, followed by Naruto. The blonde sat on the far side of Sasuke, mouth covered as he looked away from the two of them.
"Shikamaru," the taller boy murmured uneasily, "we know about... Sai."
Shikamaru squinted at him. "Yeah, I thought we estab-"
"Not you and Sai," Shino cut in. "Just... Sai."
Shikamaru comprehended almost immediately. Fear rose into his chest.
"How did you-"
"He told us," Chouji answered before he could finish. "Me 'an Shino, anyway. He caught us the other day and spluttered it all to us. He was looking for advice on you. He didn't want it to be like last time."
"And Kiba was nearby," Shino added, "but we all didn't know by then that he had come to the... er..."
"Side of the Jedi," Chouji finished for him, quickly. "So to speak of course. And no offense or anything, Kiba."
"None taken," the brunette grumbled. He moaned, hiding his face in his hands. "But it's all my fault!"
"Wait - what's your fault?" Shikamaru was having a hard time taking this in, focused instead on the crazed fluttering in his stomach.
He was looking for advice on you. So Sai definitely felt something back.
It was like one weight had been lifted from his shoulders - but what on earth could be this new omen of misfortune his friends were so eager to exchange the prior for?
"Well, knowing what he did... Or at least, attempted..." Kiba bit his lip. "God, it is my fault!"
"What?" Shikamaru hissed. "Wait, what? What did Sai attempt?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I thought he told you everything."
"He did!" Shikamaru answered desperately, wishing someone would give him an answer. "Or at least I thought! Now, somebody tell me what's going on!"
"Shikamaru," Naruto finally choked, "he tried to commit suicide."
Shikamaru's throat suddenly constricted as a wave of fear enveloped him, all color draining from the scene.
"W-what?" he whispered, voice low. "Wait - wait, wait, wait! How is that Kiba's fault?"
"The first time had nothing to do with him." Chouji cut in. "But today..."
The group turned to him expectantly, willing him with their eyes to spill his part of the story. Shikamaru's right hand clamped over his left arm in anticipation, stomach feeling not empty but now sickeningly full of fear.
"Today," Kiba murmured, refusing to meet their eyes, "I came to him in the hall. I wanted to make peace. But I kind of... worded it badly, and he took off."
Shikamaru grit his teeth. "What did you say?"
Kiba flinched slightly at his hostile demand, but obeyed anyway.
"'I saw you guys yesterday. But I already know about you and Shikamaru.'"
Shikamaru had bolted almost before he could finish.
The group waited a few moments to make sure he was gone.
Naruto beamed. "Great work, everyone!"
All five boys released a simultaneous sigh, giving small humorous laughs afterward.
"Think we went overboard?" Sasuke mumbled. "He looked pretty worked up."
"No way!" Naruto snapped, indignant. "I'd be damned if I let this go off without a bang!" He grinned toothily. His boyfriend ran a hand through his hair, sighing.
"Now, then. Place your bets?" Kiba waggled his eyebrows as he tossed his wallet onto the table. "I'll be the bet keeper."
"Ooh, ooh, me! Five says he doesn't even find him!"
Sasuke scoffed. "Ridiculous. Ten on him getting there, but he doesn't admit anything."
"You guys are all assholes!" Chouji growled. "I have utmost faith in Shikamaru."
He tossed a twenty on the table.
"Sai, however..."
-
Shikamaru ignored the yells of several teachers as he raced down the hall, searching wherever he could think of for Sai. Maybe if he found the other boy, they could just talk this out...
"Sai, un?" The feminine blonde boy looked at the panting Shikamaru in the art room doorway curiously. "He hasn't stopped by yet today, un!"
Kurenai shook her head in agreement, fiddling with some papers on her desk. "He's right. I haven't seen Sai in a while, actually."
"Th-thanks anyway," Shikamaru panted, racing to his next destination. Maybe he was in the librar-
The lanky teen halted in his steps as a silvery-haired boy walked past. Mechanically, he turned his head to stare owl-eyed over his shoulder.
"What did you say?"
Kabuto blinked at him over his glasses.
"It's rude to wave your fist at upper classmen, or anyone else for that matter."
Shikamaru lowered his shaking hand, still clutching the other boy's front. Actually, he wasn't sure exactly when that'd happened.
"I asked you a question!"
Kabuto smirked.
"It's a shame. I heard your friends talking, you know. I think it's a shame."
Shikamaru squinted at him. There would be time to beat the shit out of him later. But as of right now, there was something this guy wasn't telling him...
"Do you know where Sai is?"
"It's my responsibility as class rep not to divulge information on other students to just anyone." His lips curled in a crooked smile.
"Look, Kabuto. I'm not playing around here. This is some serious shit, so you better-"
"I'm not playing, either. Oh!" He grinned, an eerie sight compared to his lopsided smirk from before. "How messy do you think a drop from the school roof would be? Just out of curiosity."
All the color drained from Shikamaru's face.
"Dammit!"
Kabuto straightened the front of his shirt as Shikamaru sped away, no genuine expression visible on his face.
Up to you now, brat.
He turned away.
Sasuke better pay me damn well for doing this for him.
-
"Sai!"
He had all but screamed the name as he entered the door to the roof, huffing and puffing for dear life.
A boy a couple of feet from him, sitting in the same position he had that morning when talking to Naruto, jerked slightly in surprise. He glanced behind him, hands firm on the lowest, horizontal rail.
Familiar, pale lips pulled into a smile. "Oh! Hi, Shika!"
Shikamaru froze. That was not the happy face of a person about to kill himself. That was the happy face of a very normal person who had been sitting around waiting for someone to meet them just seeing that person finally arrive.
Something clicked. The suspicious, rushed movements. They way Kabuto had seemed overly engrossed yet revolted by his own words.
Shikamaru ground his teeth. I am going to kill every last one of them. I swear, I-
"Shika?"
"Y-yeah?" he answered quickly. He came over to Sai, resting his arms on the rail as he sat down beside him.
"You seem... tired." Sai screwed his face up, studying Shikamaru's. "No offense, but you look like you just ran a marathon - and lost. So what happened?"
"Oh, nothing," Shikamaru replied in a sickly sweet voice. "I just have a feeling most of our friends are going to die in extremely gruesome ways today." Plus one upper classmen.
Sai raised both brows. "Okay, then!" he mumbled unenthusiastically, looking back to the horizon.
Silence. Very, very tense silence. For Shikamaru, anyway.
Well, this was it. The perfect moment he'd been waiting for. He could at least thank his friends for that. Now...
He sighed, placing his forehead against the cool bars.
If only his wonderful friends had given him a script and list of "do's and don'ts" in terms of asking someone out. Honestly! This wasn't a proposal, but the fact they were both guys probably made the moment seem more important, more vital, as if hanging by a thread. And anyway, now knowing his friends had probably fabricated the entire story, having guessed everything from a fact there was a 'last time' to the idea that whatever the story was Shikamaru alone knew, there was no way for him to know if Sai truly liked him back or not.
The boy beside him released a lengthy sigh.
"Okay, then. I'll start."
He rested his cheek on his hands, looking at Shikamaru expectantly. He quickly closed his eyes, sighing.
"Look," he murmured. "Don't laugh when I say this, but-"
His shoulders jerked up a bit in surprise when he opened his eyes to find Shikamaru staring into his, entire face not even an inch from his.
"Um," Sai said.
'Um'. That just about summed it up for both of them.
Sai wasn't quite as soft as Shikamaru had dreamed - his lips were still plush, yet firmer than he'd thought, but it wasn't at all unpleasant, no! He seemed to know what he was doing, and Shikamaru thanked the gods for his brief summer romances; they had prepared him well.
Their lips moved easily together, occasionally so well that the other let out a small gasp of sorts. One of Sai's hands snaked around his neck, touching the back of Shikamaru's head, caressing the firm strands of hair that were pulled back into a high ponytail. The fingers of the other hand teased a single black hoop, gently massaging the soft part of the ear. Shikamaru kissed him all the deeper for that, his hands pulling around Sai's waist. The more Sai touched him, gentle and hesitant, the more he deepened the kiss, and the more one made the other gasp or even moan now.
Yes, yes, they'd need air eventually. But right now, this was all they needed.
They came up at the same time, gasping but still holding each other close. Shikamaru sighed deeply, feeling very content yet greedy enough to want more.
He rested his forehead on Sai's, feeling his face flare as their eyes met. He smiled at the boy above him timidly, slipping his hands to Shikamaru's neck.
"Feels good to get it all out on the table, right?"
"You don't even know!" Shikamaru breathed with surprising conviction. It absolutely did.
Sai kissed him one last time, on the tip of the nose. Shikamaru's blush deepened.
"Actually," Sai murmured, "I do."
-
Naruto, Kiba, and Chouji groaned simultaneously. Sasuke frowned. Shino adjusted his glasses with a smirk.
"It pays to have faith in your friends."
Shikamaru shrugged, having just entered and no idea what they were talking about. He further intertwined his fingers with Sai's.
"Thanks, Shino."
"No, literally." The bug lover actually smiled with teeth. The group looked at him in shock, taken aback. "It pays."
The others took the hint, forking over their cash.
"Oops!" Kiba said, opening his wallet. "I'm broke!"
"Aw, Kiba, you ass!" Naruto growled.
"That in itself is worth something," Sasuke mumbled.
"Fork it over," Shino said expectantly, holding out his hand. Kiba's jaw dropped.
"No way! My sister gave me this!" He frowned. "Besides, I said all the money in my wallet, not the wallet itself."
"You did not!" Chouji snapped. "You said-!"
And they broke into a series of squabbles. Despite being the cause, both Sai and Shikamaru felt as if they had walked into foreign territory.
Sai's eyes swept the quarreling group with a mixture of amazement and annoyance.
"Were they all in on this?" Sai asked, more incredulous than mad. Shikamaru smiled at him sheepishly.
"You don't want to know."
Naruto cleared his throat, swiveling around in his seat to face the couple. He furrowed his brow at them in what was probably supposed to be a threatening way.
"Can I be the best man or not?" He pouted. "I still like the orange streamers idea, but if you like, we can make them purple."
Sai wrinkled his nose. "Ew. I don't like the sound of any of those ideas, especially not you as best-"
He quickly dodged a smack from the blonde, who he stuck his tongue out at in return. Naruto grit his teeth.
"Sai!"
Sai squealed and, to everyone's surprise, pecked Shikamaru on the cheek before running like hell as Naruto chased him around the lunch room.
"So!" Kiba cut in cheerily, despite being out an entire month of lunches. "The pursuit of the artist has ended well, I trust?"
Shikamaru smirked.
"Yeah, actually. It has."
The End
:'3 I feel so good inside!
Stay tuned… there may be a sequel. ;) Or at least a mini-story.