Hello everyone,
This one shot became more than what I honestly expected. I didn't really think about how long this one was going to be or how to end it. I just went with the flow of the story and not only that but it was supposed to go a completely different way then what it did but in the end I am happy with it and I hope everyone enjoys it too.
Shikamaru a senior high school student that is just simply ready to graduate. He has never dated before because he has found it too troublesome. But it being his last year in high school it had to become extremely troublesome.
Shikamaru just came into his classroom being one of the first students in the class for once because everyone was passing and receiving Valentine's day gifts. To his surprise he came in the class to find two other people being in the class chatting away. Suke Uchiha and her best friend Naruko Uzumaki, no one ever seemed to be able to get in their personal bubble well all accept possibly Sakura. He never once talked to them despite being in their class since elementary. Naruko was a troublemaker and Suke was the Ace of the school. But those two were heartthrobs to the guys in high school, Shikamaru could understand why they were both beauties.
He would understand why those two were so fawned over by the guys but he wasn't going to be one of them despite how beautiful and idiotic the blonde one was. He always stared at Naruko for some reason even though everyone says they like Suke better. Shikamaru just would always prefer Naruko.
"Shikamaru, why did you run off to the class?" Shikamaru's friend Ino asked breaking him out of his thoughts.
Suke and Naruko hearing they weren't alone turned toward the others.
"Didn't want to deal with all the chaos that Valentine's Day brings." Shikamaru said in a bored fashion and in the corner of his eye he saw Suke smirking while looking at Naruko.
"Shikamaru," Suke called to him.
"Stop it, don't get involved." Naruko whispered grabbing her friends arm.
"Yeah?" Shikamaru said as he turned to look at them, Ino coming to his side.
"There was a Valentine's chocolate on your desk when I came in. It should be in your desk." Suke said.
"You kidding?" Shikamaru questioned as Ino walked back to his desk.
"No, they're not." Ino said holding up a letter and some chocolate.
Shikamaru walked back to his desk grabbing both and immediately noticed that no name was on it. Shikamaru looked at all three girls and noticed Suke and Naruko were once again not paying them two any attention.
"Who's it from?" Ino asked.
"I don't know," Shikamaru said opening up the letter.
Hi Shikamaru,
You may not know who I am because you never pay attentionto othersbut I wanted to tell you that I really like you. I wasn't going to leave it at first but I remembered you liked coffee chocolate so I made it. I want you to try and find out who I am, if you do happen to talk to me and ask me if I gave you the chocolate I will tell you but until then we are playing a game of hide and seek. I hope you find me by the end of the day.
Your secretcrush
Shikamaru didn't know what to say to the letter but he did like coffee chocolate and it was homemade he could tell.
'Should I look for her? Who could it be though?' Shikamaru thought and then looked at Ino.
"I didn't do it, I know what you're thinking but it wasn't me and no one came up to me and ask what type of chocolate you like. Hell I am just as surprised about this as you are, probably more." Ino said raising her hands up whispering the last part.
The class started to come in the first being Kiba, Hinata, and Shino to see Shikamaru eating chocolate and rereading the letter.
"What's going on Shikamaru?" Kiba asked looking over his shoulder.
"Shika got a Valentine's card and chocolate." Ino answered.
"You're joking?" Kiba asked his eyebrow raising.
"Shut up," Shikamaru grumbled putting his head down while eating the chocolate.
'Who is this? It's not Ino,' Shikamaru started thinking. 'Cut out Suke, Sakura is most definitely out, Hinata is dating Kiba. Could it be Temari?' Shikamaru thought then looked at the note again and had to chuckle because he doesn't know who's handwriting it was and he knows how Temari's handwriting looks like.
"Hey," Naruko called out to Shikamaru.
Shikamaru looked up at her and tilted his head.
"I can help you find out who it was that put it on your desk." Naruko said.
Shikamaru questioned it at first but then thought what did he have to lose. He just handed her the letter and she read it and gave a little shocked reaction before her face went back to normal again. It was so short that Shikamaru almost didn't catch it.
Shikamaru grabbed the letter after she held it out to him.
"Do you have any idea who it is?" Shikamaru asked looking at her through the corner of her eyes.
"I do," Naruko whispered.
"Are you going to tell me?" Shikamaru asked.
"No, that will take the fun out of the game." Naruko said chuckling.
"I thought you said you would help me." Shikamaru said.
"I will, I can tell you who it isn't at least in this class. And I also can tell you it's from someone in this class." Naruko said giving Shikamaru ideas.
"Who is it not?" Shikamaru asked.
"Suke and Ino for sure didn't do it." Naruko concluded.
"Yeah that I already knew. Do you know who else we can mark out?" Shikamaru asked.
"Hinata and Sakura are out." Naruko said.
"Okay," Shikamaru said not understanding why he was even listening to this girl he barely ever talked to but he knew he wasn't going to get no one else's help with this.
The bell rang before Shikamaru knew it though and Suke came walking up to them.
"Come on Naru," Suke said.
"I told Shikamaru I would help him with that letter and finding out who did it." Naruko answered.
"Whatever," Suke said but still waited for the two of them to get up.
"Don't you two want to go?" Shikamaru found himself asking.
"I am not leaving Naruko in here alone seeing as those wild ass guys will try to take her away." Suke said in a protective manner.
"I can handle myself Suke." Naruko said rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah whatever. Come on you two." Suke said still waiting.
Shikamaru picked up his stuff and walked with the two ladies that every guy fancied. When Shikamaru looked up it seemed Naruko was extremely uncomfortable about something.
"Naruko, are you okay?" Shikamaru found himself asking before he could stop himself but he whispered it.
"All these guys circling us like this makes me nervous." Naruko answered honestly from what Shikamaru could tell.
He didn't understand why he did it but he walked closer to her to the point where they were touching arms. He didn't understand why he felt completely comfortable around the girl that he barely ever talked too, but he did. Every time her arm brushed against his it tingled in that place making him feel completely comfortable and making him feel nervous at the same time.
"Why is Shikamaru next to Naruko?" A boy whispered but Shikamaru heard him very clearly.
"Shut the hell up and move the hell around you fucking creepers. We're not taking no damn Valentine's from any of you." Suke said loudly but they did move away from them.
Shikamaru didn't know how to respond to that.
"She is like that because she doesn't like sweets and because she has a boyfriend." Naruko whispered to Shikamaru.
Shikamaru didn't know that but it wasn't shocking that he didn't seeing as these two were so low profile.
"What about you? He won't be mad if you help me find out who placed chocolate on my desk." Shikamaru asked kind of shocking both girls.
Shikamaru won't lie he always found his eyes going toward Naruko's seat in almost every class they have with each other he just didn't know how to approach the girl. He also wanted to go to college without being in a relationship making it easier to leave when he wanted to leave.
"No, I don't have a boyfriend. Don't you think if I did would I really be helping you when I can be spending it with him?" Naruko questioned tilting her head back with a small smile but there was sadness in her eyes.
"I guess that's true." Shikamaru concluded deciding to ignore the pain he saw in her eyes.
This class they didn't sit next to each other but he kept his eyes on her the whole time ignoring the fact that he was supposed to look at the female's in his class' handwriting to see who wrote him the note. But he couldn't focus to save the life of him. He just kept looking in the front of the class by the windows where Naruko was currently taking notes for the class and passing a note to Suke who was behind her. He wondered what they talked about especially seeing as they always talked to each other.
Class was over and Shikamaru didn't accomplish nothing aside from staring at Naruko the whole class period.
"Shika, come on let's go get something to eat." Choji said pulling at his sleeve.
"Choji, do you know who's handwriting this is?" Shikamaru asked pulling the letter out quickly.
"That looks like... hmm... I would say Suke." Choji concluded.
'But that can't be, Suke has a boyfriend. Naruko told me,' Shikamaru thought not really getting why he believed her right away.
"Oh hang on or this could be that one girl from last class. Umm... what's her name? Nany," Choji said.
"Impossible," Shikamaru said taking the note and putting it back in his pocket.
Unknown to him Suke and Naruko were staring at him. Maybe he should just ask Naruko if she wanted to go out after school to talk about who could have done it.
'Who knows me well enough to know what my favorite chocolate was? Only Ino girl wise. So that's a bit creepy,' Shikamaru thought.
Shikamaru saw Suke and Naruko walking out the classroom heading outside to eat there lunches and wanted to go with but didn't have an excuse to go by them. Wait yeah he did. Shikamaru ran after them leaving a confused Choji behind him.
"Hey, Suke did you give me this Valentine?" Shikamaru asked going off the note.
For a moment his heart stopped seeing Naruko's face drop and look away from the two.
"No, I didn't but I was the one to put the note in your desk but I only did that so no one would take it off your desk." Suke said bluntly.
Shikamaru actually let out a sigh of relief and slouched down falling into the grass in front of the girls. Shikamaru saw Naruko and Suke glance at each other shrugging their shoulders then continue talking to each other. It never crossed in his mind that it might have been Naruko to write the letter and leave the chocolate for him it seemed unimaginable for her to do it.
"Naruko," Shikamaru called to the girls with his eyes closed.
"Yeah Shikamaru?" Naruko questioned looking down at him.
"Was it you?" Shikamaru asked.
When Naruko was about to answer, Shikamaru chuckled catching the girls off guard before she could answer.
"No way, it couldn't be you. I don't know why I would even ask." Shikamaru said.
If he would have opened his eyes he would have visibly seen the hurt in her eyes as he said those words or would have saw the sad look Suke was giving Naruko as she rubbed her shoulder. But it was all missed at the most important part.
"Do you think it could have been Nany?" Shikamaru asked raising his body.
Naruko didn't want to talk knowing her voice would give her away and the sadness would come out from one word.
"No it wasn't her," Suke answered for Naruko.
"I have to go to the bathroom." Naruko said quickly but Shikamaru heard the sadness in her voice but he couldn't see her face because she ran off too quickly.
Suke looked down at him but didn't say anything to him about what was wrong.
"What happened?" Shikamaru asked.
"Sad text, canceled plans." Suke said nonchalantly like it didn't matter to tell him or not.
Shikamaru didn't like the response he got but something in his heart told him it was his fault. Shikamaru got up immediately and ran toward the direction Naruko went too.
"What a stupid boy." Suke mumbled finishing her food.
Shikamaru ran to all the closest bathrooms but couldn't find her anywhere. He was about to give up that was when he spotted her beautiful blonde hair surrounded by some guys. He could tell they were bothering her but he didn't expect her to get so aggressive with them.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO ANY OF YOU!" Naruko said in a voice that sounded like Suke.
They quickly dispersed away from her and she walked back toward me with slightly cold eyes compared to before.
"I was looking for you." Shikamaru mumbled for some reason he was intimidated by how Naruko seemed right now.
"You found me," Naruko said with no emotion.
"Are you okay?" Shikamaru questioned but he just didn't know what was wrong.
"Fine," Naruko said and walked around him.
Shikamaru reached out his hand to grab her for it to be pulled away from him. Naruko gave him a dull smile like it had no meaning.
"I have to finish my lunch." Naruko said.
'What did I do?' Shikamaru said tilting his head back and started thinking about the things he said to her today and nothing would come up.
For once Shikamaru actually felt stupid. The rest of the day Naruko seemed off and he didn't care who sent him the note but then his mind kept circling what he said in the courtyard to Naruko and how he doubted it was her then she ran off and became cold after that. He would ask her after school.
When school was let out Shikamaru watched as everyone left the school out the gates as he waited for Naruko to come out. He saw Suke first then long behold Naruko came running after her.
"Naruko," Shikamaru called out to her immediately before she could leave.
Naruko turned around shocked to see Shikamaru waiting for her by the gate. She was about to continue walking when Suke pushed her toward Shikamaru.
"It was you, wasn't it? The one to give me the chocolate and the letter. It was you," Shikamaru said shocking Naruko.
Suke just walked away leaving the two together she would hear about it later anyway.
Naruko bit her lip before she just nodded her head yes. Shikamaru almost leaped for joy.
"Do you want to get some cake with me?" Shikamaru asked putting his hands in his pockets looking at the ground.
"Yes, I would love some cake." Naruko said in an excited tone.
Shikamaru looked up to see a bright eyed Naruko with an excited smile that he remembered from earlier. He quietly walked up to her grabbing her hand and walked off with her making small talk. For the first time in the eighteen years of Shikamaru being alive he was interested in getting to know who another person was in another way then just a friend.
"How did you know what chocolate I liked?" Shikamaru asked curiously as they walked to the cake shop.
"You told me," Naruko said looking at him.
"When?" Shikamaru was genuinely curious when he told her.
"You told me in the third grade that you only liked coffee chocolate and for the rest of the time in those years during Valentine's parties for classes I gave you coffee chocolate and everyone else got something else." Naruko explained.
"Haha... I guess I was picky even then, huh." Shikamaru said with a smile.
"Yes," Naruko said giggling.
Shikamaru gave her a warm smile hearing her laugh like that was music to his ears in a weird way. They got to the cake shop buying chocolate toffee cake and strawberry shortcake and left to eat it in a park.
"When did you start liking me?" Shikamaru suddenly asked as they sat on a bench.
"Since middle school." Naruko said honestly.
"And you waited until senior year to tell me?" Shikamaru asked raising his spoon to his mouth eating a piece of his cake.
"I was scared that you would reject me. Suke told me to do it since it was the last year and if I did happen to get rejected by you then I can go away for college with no worries." Naruko said putting her spoon in her cake looking kind of down about it.
"Well that is a downer." Shikamaru said not knowing he said that out loud until Naruko looked up at him.
"Yeah it is," Naruko agreed.
They sat in silence for a while before Naruko finally decided to speak again.
"Why did you think it wasn't me? You automatically cut me out." Naruko asked kind of looking sad.
"I didn't think you would like someone like me." Shikamaru said honestly not looking at her.
"Why not?" Naruko asked.
"Because your... so I don't know I just didn't think you would like me. I thought you could do better than me." Shikamaru said putting his spoon down.
"I like you because your honest, caring, smart, and you care for you friends. Your extremely loyal and wise but also lazy when you want to be." Naruko said shocking Shikamaru. "Your perfect the way you are." Naruko said pushing her cake away and putting her head down.
"So are you," Shikamaru whispered.
Naruko whipped her head up right away shocked by what was just said just in time to catch Shikamaru blushing. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face after that.
"What are you doing after you graduate?" Naruko asked after they finished their cakes and started walking around the park.
"Going to college here I guess to get my business degree and mechanics." Shikamaru said. "What about you?" He asked looking at her.
"Well me and Suke are going to college in Suna." Naruko said.
That moment in time it dawned on him that the girl he liked wouldn't be here after graduation.
"So your leaving..." Shikamaru said in a small voice.
"It was our plan. But after college we plan on coming back. Suke is helping her brother run her families business and I am going to be a teacher. For elementary students though." Naruko said quite proud of her plans.
"Sounds nice," Shikamaru said in that small voice still.
This is why he didn't want to get involved with girls in his grade they all planned on leaving eventually. It was a stalemate for him he would always be here.
"Shikamaru, don't think about it because we are friends." Naruko said gently holding his hand tightly.
"Okay, do you want to hang out tomorrow?" Shikamaru asked as they stopped at the bus stop where Naruko was getting on.
"Sure," Naruko said with a smile letting his hand go and entering the bus.
He stood there until the bus took off, waving goodbye to her. Shikamaru didn't know why he let himself get involved with the one girl he has been interested in since he was younger. Now that he thinks about it he does remember telling only her and Ino that he likes coffee chocolate. He never made a point to reject candy when he was a kid seeing as he would naturally give it to Choji.
"But she is leaving at the end of the school year. And that's in two months." Shikamaru muttered to himself as he walked to his house.
"Hey you," Shikaku said as his son, Shikamaru walked in the door.
"Hey dad," Shikamaru mumbled.
"Where have you been? It's pretty late compared to when you normally come home. Hanging out with Choji?" Shikaku asked.
"Nah, I was hanging out with... another friend." Shikamaru said pausing to think about what to say.
"It was a female I am assuming since you had to think of what to call her." Shikaku said.
Shikamaru sighed, making his father actually worried about his son.
"What's wrong? Talk to me about it." Shikaku said gesturing for his son to sit by him.
Shikamaru came by his father so he could talk his problems out not really sure how to start.
"Who's the girl that has your mind twisted?" Shikaku asked.
"It's the Uzumaki girl," Shikamaru said knowing he talked to his father about her before.
"Her again, so what is it now?" Shikaku asked.
"I kind of got chocolate from her today." Shikamaru said shaking his head.
"Kind of or you did get some?" Shikaku asked setting his papers he was reading down.
"I did," Shikamaru said biting his lip.
"So, what is the problem?" Shikaku asked tilting his head.
Shikamaru looked at his father like he was crazy.
"What? I can tell something is bothering you and it's not her giving you chocolate that did it, now spill?." Shikaku said.
"I don't know what is bothering me. It's when I spent time with her today I found out some things that I honestly wish I didn't know." Shikamaru said.
"You finally accepted that you like her and then found out that she liked you too. Then she told you she was planning on going to college out of Konoha." Shikaku guessed everything he was thinking.
"Dad, will you stop doing that. But yeah all of that is true." Shikamaru said sighing.
"You don't like the thought of liking someone that is planning to go away for college. But you do know that she plans on coming back with the Uchiha girl after college. You know those two girls can't be apart from each other. It always helps to keep in touch, doesn't it?" Shikaku asked.
"I guess, graduation is in a few months. I am going to my room." Shikamaru said and walked away from his father.
Shikamaru was confused by his own conflicting feelings. He knew she would eventually like someone else better than him. She deserved so much more than stay here forever with him.
As the months passed and they got closer he realized the deeper he fell. She was always on his mind that he barely spent time with his own friends, he enjoyed hearing her talk and her presence alone made him happy. Graduation came in a flash and they knew it would be the last day together until she came back but neither of them knew what was going to happen within those four years and that hurt him.
"Live your life and I will live mine." Naruko said with the sad smile as she was about to get in the car to leave with Suke because their college was starting in two weeks and they needed to settle in.
"Yeah," Shikamaru said gently holding the hand she placed on his arm.
Naruko took her hand back and was turning away from the car when Shikamaru pulled her back into a hug. She hugged him back immediately pulling away slowly kissing him gently on his lips. Shikamaru was shocked and didn't pull her back in time because she was already getting in the car.
"I will bring her back in one piece." Suke said looking at Shikamaru.
That was four years ago. It was once again Valentine's Day and he was currently running his family business while going to college. He hated it in Konoha. He tried to date but didn't see the point in it anymore. He couldn't get Naruko out of his mind and he missed her dearly. They haven't spoken, since they last saw each other when she first left for college. He heard Sakura talk about the two girls being home for only the holidays and when they had break but he never talked to them personally. But now it was that stupid holiday that got him accepting his feelings for her to begin with.
He was bored in his office when Choji came in with a package.
"What's that?" Shikamaru asked.
"A package for you." Choji said passing it to him and sitting down eating some of his own chocolate.
"Who is it from?" Shikamaru asked.
"I don't know, but she was a beautiful blonde woman. I could of sworn I've seen her before." Choji said scratching his head.
Shikamaru jumped up at the thought of Naruko being around his job.
"I have to go. I will be back." Shikamaru said running out the office.
Shikamaru ran straight to the elevators and ran straight out the building. He looked around to see a long-haired blonde walking down the street. He chased her. When he got up to her he turned her around to see the beautiful surprised blue eyes that he fell in love with all those years ago.
She smirked, "happy Valentine's Day Shikamaru." Naruko said with a smile.
He didn't say it back, he just wrapped her in his arms giving her a hug. He was so happy she was around.
"Well Shikamaru, do you want to go out on a date with me?" Naruko asked.
"You know I do," Shikamaru said pulling her back to his building straight to his car.
He took her back to the spot they went to in their senior year.
"We're back to our first outing together. Let's get the same thing as last time." Naruko said excited pulling Shikamaru with her.
Shikamaru was beaming, this time was going to be different. That's what he hoped at least. They got what they got last time and started to eat it at the same park at the same table.
"How have you been?" Shikamaru asked not looking at her.
"I finished with college early along with Suke. She is at work right now. I haven't started working yet but I am talking to Iruka about being a teacher in the middle school area." Naruko said.
"I thought you wanted to teach elementary." Shikamaru said.
"About that, I had incidents in Suna that made me second guess that method. So now I want to stick with middle schoolers." Naruko said blushing and fidgeting.
"I would like to hear what happened." Shikamaru said.
"Well them little turds made me snap and I couldn't work with elementary students after that for my student program. I got a lecture from the principal and the dean. Then they told me I would be better for older kids. So, now I am trying to work with middle schoolers." Naruko said blushing.
Shikamaru laughed gently brushing her hand.
"So, what about you? You must have tried really hard to be already controlling the company." Naruko said.
"Oh, I don't control it yet. My father still does but I do still going to school for my mechanics degree because my father told me to get it after I get my business degree." Shikamaru said.
"So you still go to school?" Naruko asked taking a bite of her food.
"Yeah, it's troublesome but I want the degree." Shikamaru said waving his hand.
"I still want to be with you. I couldn't get you off my mind the whole time I was at college. I tried dating but it felt off with every person and then my mind always went back to you." Naruko said abruptly making Shikamaru drop his spoon and look up at her seeing her blushing and looking down.
"I get that you might have another woman in your life by now but..." Naruko got cut off by Shikamaru pulling her into a gentle kiss caressing her cheek.
When they finally pulled away Shikamaru thought it would be his time to speak.
"I felt the same way the whole time you were away. I missed you so much and I love you." Shikamaru whispered.
Naruko was in a state of shock for a moment then smiled a very big smile that lit up Shikamaru's world.
"I love you," Naruko said and kissed him passionately.
That's how one piece of chocolate created a long and passionate romance for two simple teenagers that became adults in the blink of an eye. The first chocolate he ever got led him to the first and only love he ever had and Shikamaru wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
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