Authors Note: Hey this is my first fanfic so I really hope it's enjoyable. Please send any suggestions/critiques and whatever else as it has literally been years since I've written anything. My paragraphs didn't separate the way I wanted them to so I've got line breaks (Don't go crazy!). Also I am Canadian so excuse the spelling if you don't agree with it. I'm going to try and upload weekly so strap in!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, or anything from Naruto for that matter.

"Have you tried turning it off and back on again?" a slow voice drawled through the line. Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath before responding. What a drag he thought to himself as he tried to contain his frustration.

"Yes, but that's clearly not the problem. It says there's a software error and I just turned this thing on for the first time." He could hear the IT rep typing away on the other end of the phone quietly and waited as patiently as he could for a response.

"Sir, what exactly does the pop up box say?"

"Software error detected." he reiterated. Shikamaru needed this computer for work but if he'd known that he would end up on hold for 45 minutes just to speak with the slowest working IT rep, he would've sucked it up and kept his old laptop a little longer. After another moment of silence Shikamaru spoke up again.

"Hey man, I'll just drop by a computer shop tomorrow and have someone look at it. I've got stuff to do tonight." The IT guy started another drawled response as Shikamaru pressed the end button on his phone and tossed it on the couch beside him. He put the laptop back on the coffee table in front of him stretching his arms out before standing and wandering to his fridge. He knew exactly what was in there, but still felt the grumbling disappointment of seeing nothing but a couple of bottles of water, half a block of cheese and some leftovers that have been there long enough for him to have forgotten what they were. "Shit" he mumbled under his breath as he closed the fridge door again. He paced back to the couch and picked up his phone to call his friend Ino.

A brief phone conversation, a shower and 20 minutes later, Shikamaru was pulling a black shirt over his head as he heard a knock on the door. Ino walked into his apartment before he could even turn to answer it.

"Shika! You should really lock your door, you never know who's trying to get in!" It only took her four steps to cross the small apartment and pull Shikamaru into her death grip of a bear hug.

"Ai! If I locked it then how would you let yourself in to assault me on a regular basis?" He grinned at her as she smacked him over the head.

"Are you ready to go? I'm pretty sure it'll get busy soon so we should..." She trailed off and looked Shikamaru up and down. Her eyebrow rose in exclamation and she met his eyes again.

"What are you..." Shikamaru trailed off as well as he looked her up and down and realized they were both wearing blue jeans and black shirts.

"Change." Ino chirped as she pulled out her phone and sat in one smooth motion. "You have two minutes."

Shikamaru grumbled something about bossy women and kicked his bedroom door closed behind him before she could make some smart ass retort. His room was usually meticulously clean as he barely had anything he didn't care about enough to leave on the floor. He figured if he had less things, he could maintain his lazy streak and clean only when absolutely necessary. His room was as simple as the rest of his apartment. Off white walls with grey covers on his bed, a full length mirror and walk in closet. Currently his clothes from the last few days were strewn across the floor, neglected as the past week had been hectic between starting a new job and sending his best friend Choji off on a 6 month trip to build a school in Africa. He sighed as he fished a green tank top from the mess and switched it out with his black shirt. He stopped in front of his mirror and gently touched a photo of himself with Ino and Choji as kids in their old neighbourhood before hitting the light switch and heading out.

"Do you think that I'll ever find a man in this damn city?" Ino casually asked as she popped another dumpling in her mouth.

"Ino, honestly, it has to be so easy for you to get a date. Just pick a guy and ask him if he'd like to go out and buy you dinner." He kept his bored expression as he glanced around the growing crowd in the little restaurant they had picked.

"Yeah well, clearly that's going well for me. It's just so hard to meet good people now you know? Like there's tons of guys around but maybe only four of them would be dateable and then! Only maybe one of them would be worth sticking around for. If I'm lucky." Shikamaru brought his attention back to Ino, trying not to look annoyed. His expression softened when he realized Ino was actually upset about this. She was staring down at her plate pushing her last dumpling around. Shikamaru's face shifted as he came up an idea as to exactly what would cheer her up.

"Hey, wanna go out for some drinks tonight?" He knew full well that they were definitely going to get into some kind of trouble, it was almost unavoidable when they went out with Choji. Even though Choji wasn't here, Ino was usually the instigator, throwing a drink in some guys face or starting a fight with the other girls at the bar. Ino instantly lit up and a huge grin took over her face.

"Hell yes! But -" she paused knowing Shikamaru was going to complain. "- I'm going to have to change." Shikamaru's face dropped and he let out a groan. He should have known she was going to say that. He flagged down the waiter for their bills then headed out into the street to flag down a cab.

Ino was studying fashion and design at the university and also lived on residence with a roommate named Tenten. She was a really nice girl but far too innocent to be living with someone like Ino. Ino threw open the door and shouted a "Hello!" There was soft music playing from Tenten's room but the door was closed so Ino shrugged and invited Shikamaru in. He followed her into her room and sat on the edge of a stool in the corner while she began to dig through her closet. She turned back around with two short dresses, one red and one purple and looked at Shikamaru expectantly. He nodded his head to the left to indicate the purple one and she unceremoniously tossed the red one back into the closet. She turned and started to pull her shirt up and Shikamaru jumped up and threw his hands over his eyes.

"Woman! You can't do that to me!" He shouted then tried to mutter under is breath, "Fucking weirdo." He turned his body to the wall and Ino just laughed at him.

"Shika you're like a brother. I always trust you to close your eyes." He could still hear her pulling at her clothes so he stayed facing the wall, cheeks turning pink.

"You have no shame. Whoever ends up as your boyfriend is in for some serious trouble." Ino giggled and told Shikamaru that she was good now. He turned around now composed and looking bored again. "Let's go."

Ino paused at her vanity to check her hair and makeup, and decided that she wasn't wearing enough lipstick. She kicked on some heels and turned to go to see that Shikamaru was now standing with his forehead pressed against her apartment door. She laughed and told him to wait just another minute. He mumbled something about wasted time under his breath as Ino cross the apartment and banged on Tenten's door.

"Hey girl I'm going out for drinks with Shika, wanna come?" She started to turn the doorknob and Tenten burst out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Her cheeks were flushed and her usually perfect buns were slightly askew. Ino stepped back with a silent 'woah, chill' emanating from her.

"Sorry I was kinda - busy, are you going now? I can come in a bit – or I can just stay. Do you mind?" Tenten managed between breaths before starting up a little straighter and taking a deep breath. She glanced over and noticed Shikamaru still leaning, bored, with his forehead against the door.

"Hey Shikamaru, good to see you!" She smiled at his turned back. Shikamaru offered a salute in acknowledgement.

"You can meet up with us in a bit if you want. Bring your boy too, we'll be at the campus bar." Ino winked and turned to leave.

"There's no.. oh." Tenten's cheeks flushed again. She gave a curt nod and turned back into her bedroom. "See ya!" Ino chirped as Shikamaru finally dragged her out the door.

Ino was an obvious kind of beautiful with her long blonde hair, bright green eyes, and some great curves to compliment. But Shikamaru also knew how much trouble she was on a regular basis and never felt any kind of romantic spark between them. Growing up, many people had assumed they either were in a relationship or were going to be eventually, but Shikamaru had sworn to himself he would never date her as a promise to keep himself out of trouble and also because Choji had been in love with her since they were kids. Unfortunately for Choji though, Ino had made it clear that he was like a brother to her and always would be. Shikamaru had a suspicion that that was part of the reason Choji had left for Africa to 'find himself' and figure some things out. Either way Ino never let anything affect their friendships and would never treat Choji any differently.

Shikamaru let out a sigh as Ino babbled something about Tenten being in a secret relationship with some mystery guy and how it had become the hall conspiracy, despite the fact that everyone thought she was a total prude. He nodded his head as to keep her talking but something – no someone caught his attention from the corner of his eye. A very tan, curvy girl with wet sandy blonde hair piled on top of her head was walking down the adjoining hallway in nothing but a beach towel. He did a double take and they met eyes for a brief second before she turned to step into an apartment and Shikamaru walked past and into the stairway. He could have sworn he saw her stick up her chin a little higher and smirk before he had turned the corner. He also realized Ino had stopped talking and was staring at him suspiciously.

"What was that?" She asked and tried to lean back into the hall to see what he had been looking at, but the girl was already gone.

"Nothing, thought I saw someone I knew." He kept walking down the stairs and shook his head a little wondering if he really did just recognize her from somewhere. Ino shouted at him to wait and yelled about heels and sacrifices.

"Can I pretty please get two tequila shots?" Ino tried as sweetly as possible over the music and conversation, leaning further than necessary over the bar. The bartender poured her the shots and whispered something to her then winked. Ino smiled back while taking the shots and turned to Shikamaru. He rolled his eyes at her before taking the shot out of her hand and downing it without a second thought. He puckered his lips only slightly as Ino followed suit and struggled to maintain a straight face. He smirked at her effort then took another sip of his beer.

"It's amazing anyone makes any money around here with girls like you practically stealing alcohol from the bartenders." Ino chucked and shrugged in agreement as she sipped on some girly drink. They had only been at the bar for fifteen minutes or so, but the usual Saturday night crowd was filtering in and taking up the last available tables and bar stools. Even the dance floor was filling up for only being 10 o'clock. Shikamaru finished his second beer and ordered another along with a drink for Ino, which he did pay for. He turned and scanned the crowd spotting a couple of guys he knew sitting at a corner table. He let Ino know he was going to see them as she took her drink and moved in the opposite direction to greet a couple of her class mates.

"Shikamaru! Guess we really are in for a party if you're here tonight." Kiba and Naruto raised their drinks to him as he slipped into a chair. Shikamaru grinned sheepishly and shrugged. Unfortunately he had become notorious for the couple of times he had gone out drinking with the guys and had ended up in a fight. There was also one time he had strategically gotten them out of being arrested despite being completely wasted. Kiba was from a small town neighbouring his hometown so they had ended up in the same high school. Naruto had transferred in halfway through and immediately fought his way to popularity. It also helped that he was a genuinely nice guy who wanted to befriend everyone, even the staff and younger grades.

"What is this, your fifth year now Kiba? I thought you were only in a three-year program." Naruto spat out a little of his drink trying to contain himself as Kiba's mouth dropped open then closed again.

"Okay smart guy with the boss job, rub it in a little more why don't ya." Shikamaru smiled and Kiba instantly regained his confidence and smirked back. "Not all of us were born genius – some of us actually have to study and work hard."

"Yeah I guess Naruto does deserve a break, but Kiba, if you spent as much time with books as you did with girls, I'm sure you could at least finish early this year." Shikamaru sipped his beer satisfied at Kiba's obvious growing anger.

"Okay guys, let's just have some fun tonight. I don't want to hear anything about school or studying until at least noon tomorrow." Naruto finished with a palm slamming into the table to break the tension. Kiba growled under his breath and Shikamaru just shrugged with a slight smirk on his face.

Ino joined their table with a now presentable Tenten and her pink haired friend Sakura. Naruto immediately stood and pulled out the chair next to him for Sakura. She sat thanking Naruto quickly and greeted everyone. Sakura was in the nursing program so it was rare to actually see her outside of the classroom or the library, and also not in her regular scrubs. Shikamaru had tried to tell her once that nursing would be wasted on her as she had a natural talent for medicine and should have been a doctor. Sakura had just shrugged and said it's never too late.

The girls had launched into a story about a guy on their floor who was bragging that he was going to seduce all the girls in his building and had started making rounds, picking up any poor girl who hadn't been warned. Shikamaru let his gaze creep over the crowd as he scanned the room and thought about his bed and the long walk home. He was about to let out a sigh when he suddenly got a smack on the side of the head from Ino.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Shikamaru blinked at her expectantly. "You need a girlfriend."

"Or at least to get laid!" Kiba chimed in. Shikamaru shot him a glare and reached to sip his beer again only to find it empty. 'How have I already drank this much' he thought to himself as he glanced at his phone seeing it had only been half an hour. His friends moved on in conversation knowing that relationships weren't really something Shikamaru talked about, but Ino kept her focus on him.

"No." he said as Ino began to open her mouth.

"You don't even know what I was going to say." Ino pouted and crossed her arms.

"I don't need a girlfriend, I've got enough on my plate."

"But you're not even in school anymore! And a girlfriend – hell I even bet getting laid would seriously improve your mood. At the very least!" Ino cringed a little at getting laid but stuck by her words. Shikamaru tsk'd her and took a moment to respond.

"It's too much trouble. Women are too much trouble." He stood and Ino followed suite. He went to the bar and ordered two pitchers for the table pulling cash from his wallet.

"Don't be mad Shika, I just – I really believe you'd be happy with someone." She put a hand on his shoulder and added teasingly. "And maybe a little less lazy." Shikamaru picked up the two pitchers and headed back to the table.

"I'm not lazy, I'm efficient. Never using more energy than I absolutely have to." Ino rolled her eyes but felt better that she hadn't actually ticked him off.

1AM had rolled around without anyone seeming to notice. Everyone except Naruto and Shikamaru were on the dance floor. Ino had found some poor guy to tease and dance with, only her friends knowing she was going to leave him at the bar when she left. Kiba had a tall brunette pinned in a corner and had been sucking face for the last 20 minutes. Shikamaru was feeling the effects of the alcohol and was thinking about how much everything would spin the moment he stood up to piss again. He turned to Naruto to see he was staring longingly (or just drunkenly) into his empty beer glass. He sighed and turned his head and gazed right across the floor to Sakura and Tenten, the two girls avoiding anyone else while laughing and dancing.

"She turned you down." Shikamaru didn't pose it as a question, more an observation. Naruto nodded and looked back into his empty glass.

"I just – I don't know... if I can let her go." He turned to Shikamaru glassy-eyed and quite literally shook the thought out of his head.

"Do you -" Naruto hiccupped and tried again. "Do you want to do something fun?" He turned to Shikamaru with a mischievous look in his eye. Shikamaru glanced back to the dance floor momentarily and thought about his bed briefly again. What the hell, it had been awhile since he had let loose and had gotten into some trouble. He gave Naruto a little nod with a look out the side of his eye. He finished the last of his drink and stood.

The two boys walked as quietly as they could in their drunken stupor around to the last campus building which had no lights on its backside, being at the edge of the city. The tall, narrow building hadn't been in use for years due to architectural deficiencies and fire hazards. It also happened to be the best lookout over the city if you wanted to go sight-seeing, or in this case, check out the stars. Shikamaru stood against the wall and carefully peered around the corner. He couldn't really see anything anyways but made the motion for all clear and him and Naruto took off at a dead sprint for the fire escape. Naruto got there first and jumped up, pulling the ladder down. The boys hadn't expected such a loud noise and forgot to stifle their shouts of surprise. I voice called out in the distance and the light of a flashlight could be seen approaching the corner. Shikamaru practically dragged Naruto up the ladder and pressed them both into a small space between pillars so that they wouldn't be seen by the flashlight. The security guard rounded the corner and swept his flashlight across the dark wall following the fire escape all the way to the top. He walked over and pushed the ladder back up taking a quick look towards the rooftop. Shikamaru clamped his hand over Naruto's mouth as he felt his friends body start to shake with silent laughter. The guard gave an all clear into his radio and circled back around the building. Shikamaru let out his breath after the guard was for sure out of hearing range and Naruto chuckled and then put his finger to his lips in a motioning Shikamaru to be quiet. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and then followed Naruto up the rest of the fire escape.

On the roof looking towards the city you could see the road leading straight from the University to the heart of downtown. Lights twinkled from the skyscrapers in the distance while smaller lights of cars moved lazily through the city streets. The building was only six floors up but it was the tallest on campus so the view was exceptional. The faces of the University deans were painted on the front in commemoration and also to deter the homeless from squatting as it was now considered an art piece. It was the longest standing structure on campus and because of that, no one was willing to tear it down, despite the fire hazards and all. Shikamaru only looked towards the city for a moment before crossing the roof to look towards the sprawling darkness on the other side. He rested his arms on the edge and let his head fall back to look up at the stars. Naruto walked over and sat against the ledge and put his hands behind his head. The two stayed silent for several moments before Naruto shuffled his feet in the gravel and broke the silence.

"Do you ever miss home?Well... Not the place, but the feeling?" Shikamaru contemplated Naruto's question but didn't answer sensing he had more to say.

"Life was so easy, just go to school, hang out, eat ramen, you know, the good times? But here it's so much..." He scratched his head searching for a word. "Faster... You know?" He turned his head up to Shikamaru searching his blank expression.

"They say home is where the heart is. It's just a matter of what's in your heart I guess." Shikamaru shrugged. His eyes had started to adjust and he could see the tangled mess of an unkept field and a tree-line further off in the distance.

"Huh, you really are a genius." Naruto smiled satisfied and closed his eyes, resting against the cool concrete. Shikamaru made a tsk in slight annoyance but knew Naruto meant no offence. He glanced down at his friend and saw he was starting to fall asleep.

"Okay buddy, let's get you home."

God only knows how much of a struggle it was for Shikamaru to get Naruto back down the fire escape without completely dumping him over the edge only to have to piggy back him the rest of the way to the residence building. He could also his head phone chiming in his back pocket the whole way until it eventually died mid ring. He knew it was Ino, but he definitely would not have been able to pick Naruto back up if he had put him down to check. When he finally arrived at the apartment door he gave a quiet knock, not sure if Naruto's roommate would be up. The apartment was a bit different from Ino's, instead of the two separate bedrooms, it was just an open shared room with two beds on opposite walls with desks in between. Naruto's roommate Sasuke opened the door looking disheveled from sleep and mad as hell. Shikamaru pushed a passed out Naruto into his arms while maintaining his bored composure.

"Great, thanks." Was all Sasuke said before kicking the door closed with a heel as he dragged Naruto across the carpet towards his bed. Shikamaru cringed a little at the loud bang of the door realizing he desperately needed some water. He took the staircase back down towards the front of the building wondering if there was any chance he was going to be able to find a cab. He hadn't realized his eyes were closed until he walked face first into the glass door at the bottom of the staircase. He heard a woman laughing as he realized what he had done. He pulled the door open and saw a girl with the most insane hair standing there with a gym bag over her shoulder. He touched his forehead gently but maintained eye contact, slightly confused at the recognition he felt.

"You okay there sunshine or did you hit your heat a little too hard?" She was actually mocking him, at three in the damn morning. He frowned but didn't make a move to keep walking. I guess inebriation really will be the death of me, Shikamaru thought to himself. He realized that he must have looked dumb at the fact that they were having a stare off in the lobby and he hadn't yet said a word.

"You look familiar." He frowned as she hitched her bag up higher on her shoulder and moved past him to open the door.

"Definitely not." She stated without missing a beat and kept on up the stairs. Shikamaru turned to watch the door close behind the mystery woman. He wasn't used to the bluntness she had delivered that last sentence with. As she climbed up the stairs he could have sworn she was smirking. It was then he realized she was the towel girl.