It Only Hurts Just Once
She had to end it. She had to. The alliance between their villages was tenuous- no matter how close Gaara and Naruto were, the rest of Konoha was still suspicious and wary of Suna: they hadn't forgotten the planned attack, which was really the reason she had been assigned a guide for when she was there, as if she didn't know her way around the village by now. That was why… that's where it all started. No; if she was completely honest with herself, it started at the Chuunin exams, at that fight.
Well, wherever it started, it had to end. The damned shadow-user would never desert his village, and she would never leave her brothers. It couldn't exist. This… whatever it was they had. It couldn't exist. Couldn't be allowed to exist, by here, by him… it just couldn't.
It would be easy, she told herself. It would hurt, yes, but just for a little bit. It would only hurt just once. After all, it's not as if it meant anything… but she knew people were starting to get suspicious of the attachment between them, and she wasn't about to allow him to be named a traitor because they were sleeping together- not that anyone knew (officially). She wasn't about to allow him to become a rogue ninja because she had an itch only he could scratch.
It would be a clean break. One swift, easy cut. It meant nothing. They'd get over it. It would only hurt just once. They'd forget about each other in a matter of months. Sever all ties and no-one would be wiser.
Her excuse? She missed Suna too much. She needed to look after Gaara. She missed her brothers. She missed her bed (his bed). She had a plethora of them.
She had to end it. She didn't have a choice.
'Shikamaru, I'm going back to Suna. Quitting as the ambassador. They're sending someone else. It's over. It would never last. It didn't mean anything, anyway. I'm not coming back. It's for the best, for both of us. Don't contact me, and I'll return the favour.'
It would only hurt just once.
She lied.
-END-
A/N: Yes, I know it's depressing. Sorry. There's a possibility that there may be a very humourous sequel, in which one of them is stalked by the other. But that's kind of maybe not so much. But if you want to read it, tell me in a R-E-V –I-E-W and I'll see what I can do! Otherwise, you know, just review anyway, ti makes me happy.