Troublesome…
That was his first thought when the lazy genius woke up. One hour… He only slept for one hour and here he is, wide awake, starring at the ceiling of his room.
One would've thought that something major happened to wake de nap-loving shinobi, but no. Nothing happened. Not an intruder or a loud noise or a storm. He is wide awake, in the middle of the night because it was the "first night". That's what he calls it now.
What a drag…
Since… Well, he doesn't know since when, but now he recognizes the pattern. It's a cycle, to be precise. This happens every time. It all starts in the "first night". The night before the day that she lefts Suna. That woman…
He becomes… Sleepless… No naps, no full nights of peaceful sleep.
He, the most calm and lazy person in the world, becomes sleepless. And restless.
He gets up and starts pacing the room. Three days. Three days and the most troublesome woman will be here. His troublesome woman…
He smiles at the thought. His woman. He doesn't even know how that happen. It was a slow development. Everyone saw what's coming before them. At least, that is what Ino and Naruto keep screaming at them. First she was a co-worker, then an ally, then a friend, a confident, someone he can't live without. Now… She is his sun. He would never tell her that. It would be to cheesy and she would have a laugh fit at his expense. But that's what she is. His sun. His everything.
When she arrives at Konoha, he is so happy that he feels like he will burst. He doesn't show that. That's not their "style". He meets her at the gates, dismiss the guarder's teasing and they'll stroll calmly in the streets. Next they'll visit Kakashi at his office and he'll smile and tell them to take the day off, it was a long journey after all. Shikamaru will lightly protest but inwardly he's thanking the older man.
Then they'll go to her hotel. Calmly, no rush.
And then, the door is finally close behind them. And the rush begins.
Luggage and fans are thrown at the wall, clothes fly acrossing the room and they become a mess of intertwined limbs, sloped kisses, teeth chocking, and tongues fighting until the longing and the desire calm down.
They finally take a breath, looking at each other eyes, sweated and flushed and exhausted and spend the rest of the day lying there, in that sweet surrender.
Shikamaru smiles at the memories… Three days, just three more days to have his troublesome woman lying naked and thoroughly loved in his arms.
But right now, he is in this predicament. The same predicament as always:
He became insomniac the night before the first day. During the first day, he keeps as busy as he cans, to keep his mind from wandering. Then he'll stay awake most of the night.
The second day is the hardest. He'll be restless and impatient. He'll snap at people and bitch about paperwork. Ino calls it "the insufferable stage". The second night is easier. Sleepless, but full of happy thoughts. Just 12 more hours, 11, 10…
Then comes morning and he is happier. Oddly happier. He'll sing under his breath and in the shower, and waltz with his mom in the kitchen. She'll laugh and hit his arm and, when he's heading out, she'll scream "Say hi to Temari for me! I won't wait for you tonight". He'll smile and blush.
And then, the final wait begins. At first, it was a long wait. She would only arrive at evening, sometimes almost at dinner time. But now, she'll speed all the way from Suna to arrive early in the morning.
The first guards that see her, send a message to the Hokage. Kakashi just smiles and says him to go.
10 minutes. 10 minutes it's the exact time that takes for them to arrive the village gates.
And then, another cycle of lack of sleep will begin. Now he'll skip his loved naps to be with her. To work by her side, to watch clouds and take walks together, to talk to her, to hear her laughing and see her smile, to disturb her thoughts and to kiss her in her room.
And to fall asleep with her safe in his arms, as close as its humanly possible.
The best days of his life. He will be full of energy, a strange electricity rushing throw his body. He'll find himself humming at work, complaining less, randomly smiling like an idiot fool. And she'll tease him to no end. But he knows she's happier too. She sings in the shower and smiles more times. Their battering is a sign of love and happiness.
But everything comes to an end and the last stage of the cycle begins. In her last night in Konoha, they'll lie awake all night. Limbs intertwined, eyes locked at each others, trying to memorize every bit of one another. Their eyes will become wet and shiny a couple of times, their embrace will become stronger, their whispers will become more direct.
When morning comes, they'll say "I love you" and "I'll miss you" a little too much for their taste. He doesn't feel like bursting into tears anymore. He doesn't even cry in his room anymore. He'll walk her to the gate, wave her goodbye and get back to work.
And sigh. And complain. And get lazier than ever. And snappy than ever. And "absolutely a pain in the ass" as Ino puts it.
And again… Sleepless… He'll stay awake every night until a falcon arrives at the Hokage's office. A little note with the words "I arrived safely" and a code. He breaks the code in less than 2 minutes and he smiles and puts the note in his pocket. He never told her, but he keeps every note that she sends him. From "I'm coming next Friday" ones to the "I arrived safely" ones.
But right now, that note is far from his mind. Her "I'm coming" note arrived today and it's only 3 days until she arrives. Only 3 days and he'll have her in his arms for 3 weeks.
He lays in the bed again and closes his eyes, trying to get a couple of hours of sleep.
As he drifts, he thinks that he has to thanks to Kakashi. That man is one of a kind. Only that pervy Hokage would come up with a 3 week long paperwork marathon…