Shikamaru One Shot (for Tairbear22)

This is a one shot for Tairbear22 because she asked so nicely and followed the lovely format. I like Shikamaru really well, so this should be fun! ^^

Name: Tasia
Looks: See picture below
Personality: optimistic, playful, headstrong, smart, daydreamer

Aria and Tasia are walking through Konohagakure, more commonly known as Konoha, when they are suddenly knocked over. A figure with blonde hair has tackled them, and all the girls can see is the blonde hair in front of their faces. The girls shove the blonde off their laps and see Sakura is chasing after the blonde. What might be even more surprising is that, even with her angry march, she has almost caught up. The most surprising thing, however, is that the blonde isn't Naruto.

"INO! Get off!" Tasia yells as the blonde scrambles to her feet.

"Sorry, Tasia, Aria!" Ino makes a mad dash to get past the girls, but Aria grabs her arm.

"What's the hurry, Ino?"

"Well, if you didn't notice, Sakura is behind me, and I HAVE TO GO!"

"Okay," Aria grabs the other arms to hold her still. "But why is Sakura after you?"

"I blackmailed her into coming to my party later!" Ino wails as Aria and Tasia share glances with raised eyebrows.

"… a party? That's it?" Aria asks flatly and looks back down at Ino, who is staring fearfully behind her. "Tasia, if you would…?"

"With pleasure." Tasia cracks her knuckles and catches Sakura's waist as she launches herself at a cowering Ino. "Got her."

"Arigato. Now, purely out of curiosity, how did she manage to blackmail you this time?" Aria asks Sakura and managing to look pointedly at Ino at the same time.

"Ano, she…" Sakura calms completely and stares at the ground in embarrassment.

"Hai, Sakura?" Tasia prompts.

"She…"

"I caught her kissing Lee!" Ino screams, still struggling to get away. Sakura's rage flares back up, and she begins to thrash about, trying to get free to bash Ino about the head. Aria sighs and sweatdrops before pulling out her iPod. She knows how to get both of the girls to calm down. Tasia is having problems holding onto Sakura, but Aria is finding it extremely easy to hang onto a terrified Ino. Gaara, Kankuro, Temari, and Shikamaru pause while passing by the four girls, two of whom are hysterical.

"If you both don't stop, I WILL sing the happy song." Aria threatens while brandishing the iPod so they can see it. They immediately calm down, forced into submission by the ridiculous song threat. Kankuro and Temari look at each other. Shikamaru sighs heavily, and Gaara looks interested.

The… happy song? Gaara wonders.

"Good. Now, if I catch you two going at it again or hear of the same, I WILL force the happy song upon your ears. Got it?" Aria asks. The two girls nod meekly while Tasia smirks. "Good. Now scram."

Sakura runs off hurriedly while Ino lags behind, watching her go. "Hey, you two have to come tonight, too, please?"

Aria and Tasia look at each other and nod. They look back to Ino as Tasia replies, "Of course. What else have we got to do?"

Ino smiles and thanks them and turns, surprised to see the other four standing behind them and looking amused. Well, Temari and Kankuro look amused. Shikamaru looks like he doesn't want to be here. Gaara looks mildly interested. Ino waves at the four standing a ways behind Aria and Tasia. "Oi, Temari! Kankuro! Gaara! Shikamaru!"

Tasia stiffens slightly. Aria glances over at her with one brow raised as they turn to face the people behind them. Ino runs over to them, presumably to "ask" them to attend her party later. Aria and Tasia wave before continuing on their way. Tasia laughs while remembering Aria's threat.

"Would you have really done that?"

"Well, no because I don't sing it well without music," Aria admits. "So, I guess it's a good thing they didn't know my iPod's dead, ne?"

***Erm… I've got nothing good before the party tonight. Sorries. My bad. Thus, a time skip to later tonight at Ino's.***

Knock, knock. Ino opens the door, seemingly frantic and speaking very quickly. "Ah! You're here! That's great! Let's go!"

Aria and Tasia are dragged along behind her at high speeds. Tasia wrenches her arm back and grabs onto Aria's arm, effectively bringing Ino screeching to a halt. She hollers, "What the hell, Ino?!"

Ino rubs the back of her head nervously. "Ano… I forgot to tell you two that the party was at the lake. So, we're all three late."

Aria sighs, rolls her eyes, and rubs at her aching shoulder that Ino has so thoughtfully twisted out of socket. "Kami, Ino. We would have followed you. Anyway, did the Suna crew and Shikamaru decide to come?"

"Well, actually, they weren't going to come." Ino replies, turning to walk toward the lake. The girls look at each other and shrug before following.

"Weren't?" Aria prompts.

"Hai. Kankuro asked if you were going, and when I confirmed, he decided to come. Temari said she had nothing better to do. Shikamaru, as always, decided that, even though it was 'such a drag,'" Ino mimics him well, Aria notes, "that he would grace us with his presence. Gaara… well, I can't really say if he's coming or not. I don't speak 'Gaara' as well as you do, Aria."

"So, Shikamaru is going to be there?" Tasia asks casually. Ino nods in agreement. Aria sighs and glances sideways at Tasia, noting the look of slight apprehension in her face. She speaks to her, voice low enough so Ino can't hear he words.

"It'll be fine, ne? Maybe tonight will finally be the night. You never know. He may only be here because you are, yeah?" Aria grins as she watches happiness spread across her friend's face.

"Yeah, you're right, Aria. Maybe this is my chance."

"Destiny calls, ne?" Aria asks, mimicking Neji's voice amazingly well.

"Hai, Nejia. Destiny calls," Tasia smiles as optimism lights up her features. Aria smiles, glad her friend is always so hopeful. It makes all kinds of things easier, even if her falls are sometimes harder than most. They soon arrive at the lake and see everyone already hanging out. Naruto's busting a move on the beach with a blushing Hinata while others dance around them. Chouji's sitting next to a dozing Shikamaru and eating. Lee is dancing with a flushing Sakura, who looks like she can't decide if she wants to be there or not. Kiba and Akamaru are playing with a frisbee down the beach. Temari and Kankuro are bashing each other with water noodles while Gaara rests on the beach, watching the proceedings. Shino is relaxing off to the side while Tenten and Neji are mock fighting in the lake. Ino races toward the side of the food table and motions for Sakura to join her. Lee follows, and they begin attempting to hook something up. Lee shrugs and points while speaking, but Ino and Sakura can't figure out what they are supposed to do with all the wires.

"Oi, Aria!"

"Hai, Lee?" Aria answers. She turns to Tasia and whispers before walking away, "Now's your chance. Chouji knows already!"

Tasia nods and watches Aria walk away before turning and walking toward Shikamaru and Chouji. Here goes nothing, she thinks.

***View change***

"Hai, Lee, what is it?" Aria arrives to the food table.

"We can't seem to figure out what to do with all of these wires," Ino says distractedly. Sakura gives an audible grunt of agreement while turning the instruction booklet in every direction.

"It's very unyouthful!" Lee anime cries as Aria grins.

"I'm on it!" She races down the beach toward Kiba. As soon as he next throws the frisbee, she winks at Akamaru and jumps in the air. She catches it and releases it on the way down, flinging it back at Kiba who has to duck. Akamaru barks in laughter while Kiba yells after her retreating form in annoyance. She finally makes it down to Kankuro and motions for him to come near, weary of Temari wielding her noodle.

"Aria! You're here!" He grins before making a pained face. Temari walks out from behind him, smirking with her noodle slung back over her shoulder. Aria chuckles and nods before speaking.

"Ino, Sakura, and Lee are in need of your services, oh mighty puppet master," Aria salutes. Kankuro raises an eyebrow while Temari giggles.

"Do you have any idea how wrong that just sounded?" She cackles as Aria grins.

"Hai!" Aria announces cheerfully.

"Sorry, I can't 'offer my services' to them. After all," Kankuro grins, "I'm saving them all for you."

"You mean, if things go your way, ne?" Aria smirks. "They need your expertise in setting up something random and electrical. Please?"

"Fine," Kankuro shrugs, trotting down the beach. "But only because you asked so nicely!"

"And because you stroked more than his ego!" Temari whispers evilly. Aria gasps and pretends to glare in outrage at the comment before taking up Kankuro's' abandoned noodle and whacking her blonde friend upside the head. She squeals at the return fire and races toward the water, both laughing loudly.

***Another view change!***

Tasia arrives at the place where the two guys are relaxing and quietly seats herself on Shikamaru's other side. She glances down the beach to see Aria being hit by a water noodle before racing for the water, Temari chasing after her. She shakes her head, giggling lightly at her friend's antics.

"Hey, Tasia." Chouji greets her. Tasia looks over in time to see Shikamaru jumps slightly and opening his eyes in alarm. He looks at her before pasting a bored expression on his face.

"Tasia."

"Chouji, Shikamaru," Tasia says by way of greeting. She smiles at them before looking back toward the rest of the party. Kankuro has arrived to help Ino and Sakura out of their "unyouthful" predicament, as Lee is dramatically announcing. Tenten and Neji are playing chicken with Hinata and Naruto. Tasia casts her gaze toward Aria and Temari, who, with Akamaru's help, have snuck up on Kiba and are proceeding to clobber him with their noodles. He covers his head with his arms and yelps like a kicked puppy. Tasia starts to laugh and glances over toward the boys only to catch Shikamaru looking away from her, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"What's that on your face, Shikamaru?" Tasia frowns, pretending to be confused. The blush deepens slightly as he makes eye contact.

"What?"

"It can't be…." Tasia trails off and looks at Chouji in alarm. Chouji looks at her curiously before turning his gaze to Shikamaru's face. He sees where her thoughts are going, and he plays along.

"I think it IS, Tasia," Chouji says worriedly, his eyes widening.

"What?!" Shikamaru begins to look uneasy. "What's wrong with my face?"

Tasia leans closer, carefully schooling her face to concern, and is almost nose-to-nose with the lazy nin. His eyes widen as her face approaches his, and she suddenly smirks.

"Nothing's wrong, per say," Tasia stares at his eyes. "But you are blushing."

Shikamaru's eyes go wide as his blush darkens. He denies the fact, causing his blush to darken and Tasia to laugh. He mutters something about troublesome before they hear Ino's triumphant cries.

"Yes! Ariiiiiiaaaaa!" Aria's head snaps toward the call. She pauses before smirking wickedly at Temari. She hands Kiba the noodle and runs off, leaving Temari gulping and Kiba with a wild grin. Aria makes it to Ino and listens for a moment before turning and motioning for Tasia to join them. Tasia stands and walks toward the girls, waving over her shoulder at Chouji and Shikamaru. Tasia sees Kankuro grab Aria's ass, and she swats his hand away while glaring playfully. Ino launches into details about her new idea: karaoke.

"What?!" Aria question turns into a yelp as Kankuro, yet again, takes hold of the seat of her pants. She hits him over the head, and he frowns while cringing with both arms protecting his skull. Tasia grins and shakes her head before turning back to Ino.

"We're going to sing!" She exclaims in delight. Aria grins and nods, looking excited.

"Me first, me first!" Aria bounces on the balls of her feet while waving her hand in the air. Ino smiles and nods before the group disperses. Aria stretches her arms above her head while Kankuro makes his move. Tasia watches amusedly. Kankuro wraps his arms around Aria's midsection and pulls her close while, in the same fluid motion, pokes his head in between her left arm and ear, resting his head on her shoulder with his mouth to her neck. Goosebumps erupt on her flesh as he whispers against her neck. She allows her arms to stay around his neck and lets her head fall backward to rest on his right shoulder. His lips graze over her skin as she smiles and closes her eyes in bliss.

"Oi, Aria!" Tasia grins. Aria simply sighs in content and answers lazily, not moving from her position.

"Whadaya want, Tas?"

"Can I request a song for later?"

Aria's eyes pop open and she gazes at Tasia, still not moving from her comfortable spot. "What's that?"

Tasia approaches the two and whispers her choice into Aria's right ear. Aria grins and agrees, making Tasia promise that she'll dance with Shikamaru as she sings. Meanwhile, Ino has made the announcement to the rest of the partiers, who have begun to file toward the dance… erm, floor. Aria sighs and twists around so that her forehead is in the crook of Kankuro's neck, her arms still wrapped around him. She pulls herself closer for a moment with her eyes shut before breaking away and smiling. She hesitates before placing a light kiss on his cheek, and she dashes off, leaving him to finger his face with a goofy grin plastered on his lips. Aria hops up on the "stage" and grabs the microphone. She plugs in her iPod (now fully charged) to the karaoke machine and looks out into the crowd of her friends.

"Heeeeey mina! How's it haaaaaning?!" She shouts into the evening. She pauses for a second, listening to cheers and whistles before grinning. "I'm going to sing for you, and I'll take requests! Anyone want to hear a song?"

Most of the people begin calling out suggestions, but a small tendril of sand on her wrist catches her attention. She holds one finger up to the crowd and goes "backstage" to see Gaara. He looks unsure of himself, so Aria hugs him gently, asking him what he needs. He hesitates before whispering into her ear, the words causing a maniacal grin to spread onto her face. She nods wildly and squeezes him again before hopping back onto the stage.

"By request, I am to sing…" She pauses while everyone gets quiet. She grins before shouting, "SOMETHING THAT WILL TORTURE YOU ALL!"

Grinning like a lunatic and chuckling to herself, she turns her iPod to the one… the only… the absolutely ridiculous… "Happy."

.com/watch?v=vVP45Z-ip1A (Gaara is so happy)

Aria grins and bows after singing for roughly a minute. "Thank you! That was the happy song by request!"

She laughs and glances into the crowd to see Gaara… amused. She winks at him, and he graces her with the display of a miniscule smile. No one really knows what to make of what just happened. She tones her grin down before continuing.

"I want everyone to get a dance partner, with the exception of you antisocial kids who wouldn't even if I asked you to!" Several people pair up, and others move out of the dance area. Aria smiles as she winks as Tasia, "And now a prettier song by request. This is 'Every Time We Touch, Piano Version' by Cascada."

Aria begins to sing and looks out into the crowd and is pleased to see Tasia dancing with Shikamaru. They can't seem to take their eyes off each other, and Aria can see Tasia mouthing the words along with her as she gazes straight into the eyes of the man she loves. Shikamaru can't seem to take his eyes off her. Aria smiles warmly as she sings, seeing all of the pairs in their own worlds, eyes only for each other. The music seems to wrap around everyone, caressing them as they hold close the ones they love. Aria glances around and sees Kankuro to the side, staring into the distance. She catches his eye and waves him up to her. With a slightly confused look, he walks onto the stage, only to have Aria attach herself to him. He hugs her back and smiles.

***View change! Final one! I promise! Also a small skip back in time to the first song! XD***

Tasia stands in the midst of the crowd and grins. She is sure that she is the only one who notices the bit of sand that pulls Aria away. Soon she turns back to the stage with a malicious grin stretched across her face, and Tasia knows what's coming: Gaara wants to know what the happy song is. She chuckles and feels a presence behind her. Turning and keeping her smile in place, she is surprised to see Shikamaru standing behind her. She raises an eyebrow at him, which he responds to simply with a shrug before eyeing her curiously.

"What are you laughing about?" Her grin widens into a smirk as she turns to face the front again.

"You'll see here in about… oh, twenty seconds or so." At this point, Aria is back with the microphone in hand.

"By request, I am to sing…" She pauses while everyone gets quiet. Tasia grins as Aria shouts, "SOMETHING THAT WILL TORTURE YOU ALL!"

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow, but Tasia shakes her head. As soon as the song begins, she grabs his arm, trying to support herself to prevent collapsing from laughter. The faces around her are priceless expressions of annoyance, disbelief, and, of course, the classic "WTF?!" face. Some even have a slight twitch.

Shikamaru tries to pull away, obviously to get away from the ridiculous song, but Tasia holds him in place while laughing. As soon as Aria finishes, she grins and bows after singing for roughly a minute. "Thank you! That was the happy song by request!"

She laughs and glances into the crowd. She winks, and Tasia figures that she is looking at Gaara. No one around her really knows what to make of what just happened. Aria tones her grin down before continuing.

"I want everyone to get a dance partner, with the exception of you antisocial kids who wouldn't even if I asked you to!" Several people pair up, and others move out of the dance area.

Shikamaru mutters something before glancing at Tasia. "Since this is troublesome and we're already here anyway… would you like to dance?"

"Absolutely." Tasia smiles warmly at him and allows a light flush to creep across her cheeks. Aria catches Tasia's eye and winks, "And now a prettier song by request. This is 'Every Time We Touch, Piano Version' by Cascada."

Aria begins to sing, and Shikamaru gently places his hands on Tasia's hips. She encircles her arms around his neck, and they begin to slowly rotate around while swaying slightly. Once she makes eye contact with him, they seem to connect on a level deeper than the surface. Their souls seem to join for a brief moment in time. The crowd seems to disappear, and the only thing Tasia's sure exists is the man in front of her and the cool breeze of music gently swirling around her. Even if she tried, Tasia knows she couldn't tear her eyes away. If she could have her way, this is how it would be for the rest of her life.

Without realizing it, Tasia begins to mouth the words of the song along with Aria. Shikamaru is fascinated by her eyes, shining in the setting sun's light. Twilight sets in, and the moment is perfect. Nothing could ever break them apart. Tasia knows that she has found the one. She is wrapped in her own world, accompanied by Shikamaru, and she would be content to stay that way for the rest of her life…. Tasia blinks as one of Shikamaru's hands begins to slide up her side. She makes no move to stop him, trusting him completely. He seems to realize this and makes sure he doesn't take advantage of it. His fingertips gently brush her arm, shoulder, and hair. He gently pushes the indigo locks back and touches her cheek gently, as if afraid she may break. Tasia blinks slowly and allows her eyes to drift shut while leaning into his touch. Shikamaru blinks, obviously surprised, before a little smile appears on his face. He softly drags his hand down and behind her neck. He hesitates, and notices her eyes beginning to open. His breath catches in his throat. Neither notice that they have completely ceased movement while staring into the others' eyes.

Kami, she is so beautiful, Shikamaru thinks, the feeling of tears threatening to arrive. He is completely overcome. I… need her.

He slowly begins to bend toward her, almost as if he thought she would shy away. Tasia's breath catches in her throat as she sees Shikamaru's eyes getting closer to her own. The emotion of the song swells around them, and the wind picks up, seemingly in response to Aria's rising and falling voice. Shikamaru pauses a minute distance from contact. Tasia's eyes have fluttered closed, and she waits for the moment that everything falls into place. With a small, quiet smile, Shikamaru gently brushes his lips against those of Tasia. The light contact leaves them breathless before they each lean into the other, pressing their lips together. It is indescribably perfect.