Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tokyo TV. I only own a few manga volumes, because I'm a poor student ;_;

Note: I'm feeling distinctly un-fabulous because I'm so ashamed, I was meant to write this story months ago ;_; My glorious wifey Spoony (Redundant Goddess) wrote me an awesome fanfic, 'Leaving You', and I said I would write her a story in return, so I finally am!

This is set during the time-skip, there is also a tiny reference to the Ranma ½ fanfic, 'It's in his Kiss.'

~Chouji~

'Let's see, the cake is nearly done, so all I need to do it prepare the icing. Cocoa, butter, milk, vanilla…sugar? Where's the sugar?'

"Sugar…" Chouji said aloud, more to himself than to the other person in the room. He looked around, absently wiping his flour covered hands on his (borrowed) pink apron. It did not seem to be anywhere, not in the cupboard, or by the oven, or any of the other mixing bowls. After a minute of searching, he turned to his best friend, sitting on the porch steps, only to spot the bag on the counter nearest Shikamaru.

"Pass the sugar?"

Shikamaru glanced around, "What?"

"The sugar. Next to you"

"Huh?" He spotted the nearby bag "Oh"

As Shikamaru brought over the bag, Chouji gave him a slightly concerned look. His best friend had seemed pretty out of it ever since he had arrived a few hours ago, and Chouji had no idea why. It annoyed him a little, that most of the time he could read his friend so well, yet some times he was completely closed off. It annoyed him because this was still a relatively new experience for him, in all the years that they had been friends they could almost finish each other's sentences. But now… he was not sure when this started, but it was like Shikamaru was keeping something secret, something that really bothered him.

But right now he could not think of that. It was Ino's fourteenth birthday party in a few hours, and he was so busy cooking that he was still in his ratty old t-shirt and jeans. Shikamaru himself was yet to change, but since he was staying the night, he had a change of clothes upstairs.

"You okay?" Chouji filled a small pan with some water before putting it on the lit stove.

"Yeah, it's just that Ino told me the other day that she invited Temari to her party today, and she told me to be her date"

"Oh" He kept his eyes on the water, it started to slowly bubble up, "Don't you want to be her date? She's really pretty" He broke up the bar of cocoa into small pieces in a glass bowl. He really did not want Shikamaru to see his face right now, his face always gave away too much.

"She is" He heard him sigh, with that kind of sigh he knew the subject annoyed him, was it him talking about it, or the subject itself? Or both? "She's not really my type, but we get along okay"

"Not your type? But she's one of Suna's best shinobi" 'And very pretty. And slim' Chouji's mind reminded him.

"Well, I don't want to choose my love interest on whether or not she can kick my ass, besides, she's too troublesome…she reminds me of my 'Kaasan"

He nearly dropped the bowl he was carefully placing on the boiling pan with his laughter "Your 'Kaasan!" Even Shikamaru was smiling at that, rubbing the back of his neck slightly. "How is Temari like her?"

"Too abrasive, too bossy. If I married her, I'd end up like my dad"

"Well most Kuonichi are like that, you might have to just get used to it"

"But it's not like that with your parents. Your 'Kaasan is a Jounin, and she's a lot nicer, all of your family is nice. Maybe I could marry an Akimichi" That last part was mumbled, but he still heard it.

There was an awkward pause, a first for them. 'An Akimichi…meaning if there were any single girls in my family, obviously' Not Chouji himself, of course. Never him.

After a moment, he heard Shikamaru sigh again,

"Maaa…don't you think you've made enough? Three cakes, a big tub of homemade ice cream, and two plates of dango sweets? You make anything else, and you won't be able to get ready on time"

"Thanks for the reminder" As if it would make a difference to him. Outside of his shinobi outfit he just felt fat in everything he wore. He looked at his friend, now leaning against the opposite counter with his usual bored expression. Unlike him, Shikamaru always looked good in whatever he wore. He always looked good... Chouji had to turn away, to check on the cocoa, of course.

"I'm just saying that Ino won't touch most of it, she's still on her diet"

"Sakura asked me to make a lot. Ino's thirteenth was just after Sasuke left, so I think she wants to make it up to her"

"Hn, Sasuke…" He looked away, looking annoyed. Shikamaru's own thirteenth was almost completely overlooked as well because of Sasuke. Chouji himself was still in hospital recovering at the time; all he knew was that he had mostly spent it at home, but he later sneaked him in a piece of cake. He stirred the melting pieces; he knew the recipe so well he did not even have to think about it.

"Did Ino ask you to be her date today?"

"N-no" The idea was sudden and pretty laughable, "What makes you ask that?"

"Well," Shikamaru looked a little uneasy now "I heard her talking about you the other day"

"To who?"

"Sakura. Said that she noticed the other day you weren't so bad looking-"

He could not help it; he had to snort at her cheek, it was not the first time he had heard her say that.

"Probably if I lost a lot of weight like before"

Before. Even now he could taste the spicy tang of red pepper, it happened sometimes, whenever he felt bad about his weight. Reminded him that he was very lucky.

"She didn't say that, she was probably thinking it though" A bitter tone. Did Shikamaru think of the red pepper too? Could he taste it like him?

Remove the glass bowl from the heat, add the milk, stir.

A deep breath, "I used to like Ino, a little"

"What?"

"I used to like Ino"

Open the sugar packet, pick up the sieve.

"…Yeah?"

"Mm, but then I realise that all she would try to do is change me. Make me skinny, smarter, cooler"

Sieve in the sugar.

"There's nothing wrong with you, I like you the way you are"

'Don't say that, that makes me happy', "Yeah, but when we're older, when I have to find, um, a wife, she, whoever she is, she'll want me to be like that… like Sasuke"

More sugar, stir, more milk, stir again.

.

~ Shikamaru~

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru really had to swallow back the bile that name brought up "Why would a woman want someone like that for a husband?"

"Well" Chouji turned the heat off the stove, and then wiped his cheek, leaving a smudge of leftover flour. His hand itched to wipe it away. "He was a really good catch. He's rich and handsome, and everyone respected his family"

"And an asshole"

"I meant before he became a missing nin-"

"Me too. You know I never liked him"

"Hm" Chouji was avoiding his eye again, looking absently at the bowl he was still stirring gently. 'Did you like him too?' He did not want to think of that, that thought was…well, it was not even troublesome; it actually made him feel kind of, of…what? Angry?

"You've got a lot to offer too, for a wife I mean. Your family has money, and the Akimichi's are one of the core clans of Konoha, that's a high honour." 'And there's nothing wrong with the way you look either' Best to keep that part quiet. His best friend still looked troubled, it seemed both of them did not like where the conversation was going.

Marriage. Family. Responsibility. He had always had his life plan sorted from when he was very young. Marry some girl, have kids and carry on the bloodline, have an un-troublesome life. It did not matter than he didn't like girls, that he was more interested in his new friend than any Sasuke fangirl; he figured that the attraction would come later. But it didn't. He had turned fourteen yesterday, but girls still left him cold.

But there was Chouji. There was him…

He really did not care about his preference, but his parents would, especially his dad.

He decided to change the subject, making it look as if he did not care "I don't want to even go to this stupid party, too much trouble"

But Chouji still wanted to talk about it; "People still say the Akimichi's are just slow and fat, it'll be hard finding someone who doesn't care that we're not as cool as the Uchiha's were"

"I don't care"

Chouji finally looked at him again, giving him his sweet smile; did he smile like that to anyone else? "Yeah, but you're different…you're my best friend"

There was another silence; Chouji went to go check on the cake. The oven door opened for a moment, a sweet, delicious smell of hot cake, while Shikamaru watched him. It was never this quiet at the Nara house, with his 'Kaasan's constant nagging. But there was always calm with his best friend.

Finally, Shikamaru had to say what had bothered him for the past few minutes "You really think Sasuke was better than you?"

"I didn't say that-"He looked up, catching Shikamaru's look "Well, I did sometimes"

"You still do"

Chouji 'hmm'-ed again, busying himself by tidying up,

"Sasuke has nothing on you. I still don't know why all the girls liked him, he's good looking but I can't see the attraction of an arrogant, cold bastard like him"

"Ino said he was cool and mysterious"

Ino again. "I'd take it as a warning sign, what he did to Naruto, and he probably had the best chance out of any of the girls"

"That's true" He still did not look convinced, looking at the floor like that. Shikamaru could feel himself getting a little frustrated again.

"Chouji"

The redhead looked up at him, with that dejected look that he hated seeing. Without thought, he had walked over to Chouji, looking him straight in the eye.

"You've got the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met, and anyone who can't see that isn't worth trying to impress"

For a moment, it looked as if he was going to disagree but instead he smiled. A true, open, Chouji smile. Shikamaru found himself smiling back

The oven timer buzzed. It was finished.

OWARI