I Understand
By Dreaming of Everything
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in any way related to Naruto. Except this fic. Can I trade it in for the manga or something? Please?
Author's Notes: Shikamaru and Chouji are love. Much, much love. I have tried to do them justice with this. Feedback? Concrit is what my dreams are made of.
oOoOoOo
It all started with a kiss, as they lay next to each other, watching the sky, and Chouji's mouth tasted of food and spit and Shikamaru's mouth tasted unbearably, over-whelmingly human. It was awkward, the two of them not used to this much contact, body stretched against body, one all angles and one all curves.
Chouji understood Shikamaru better than anyone else, and Shikamaru respected Chouji as no one else did. It had always been that way. They had—relied on each other. Lived a delicate balance of trust and corresponding acceptance, understanding and enough respect to just let certain things go.
And now, as they had spent a lazy day like they always did, Shikamaru had half-leaned-over and kissed him, messy and half on Chouji's mouth and half on his cheek until he had shifted to square his lips under his, and they had broken apart after a wonderful, tense minute and looked at each other, worried and unsure and panting, trying to hid their reactions and failing. Was that balance still there? That understanding? It was worth more than a kiss— Shikamaru looked younger than he ever had before, and Chouji more tense, before the moment faded.
They had understood and they leaned in again, and this time their lips met the first time, and all those years meant that they understood each other, now, without needing words, more than anything else, and they trusted each other with everything, even the things that didn't get said. The things that needed no words.
Later, as they lay side by side, as they always did on these days, the last clouds still barely visible, Chouji smiled and looked over.
"I knew you couldn't be good at everything."
"Che. Just because I missed. Once, I might add—"
—END—
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