Shikamaru was laying in the sunlight, eyes closed. His hair, spiky and near black hues of brown, looking remotely like a pineapple, rose several inches above the back of the lawn chair he was laying on. His face looked softer, more relaxed than normal-that is, if it were possible for someone as lazy as him. The set of his lips was almost a smile where a scowl would usually linger.

He can't be real…

... I didn't want to wake him, but it had to happen.I take a few steps closer. I am still a few arms lengths away, in the shade of a giant oak's trunk. He was napping in the shade of the leaves across from me. I raise my arm in an apologetic gesture, mouth open to speak, about to wake him up from his pleasant nap. My arm froze. I just couldn't do it. Maybe later, when the few spots of sunlight penetrating the shade don't dance on his face, casting it in such an aura of magic. I wonder... If magic really does exist, than what would it be like? How would it feel for his skin to touch mine...for our lips to meet...? I mentally pinched myself for breaking a promise I had long since made. NO. Definitely not. I refuse to just stand here and act like some dumb fangi-

"What do you want?" Shikamaru groggily questioned. The hint of a smile that had intrigued me so only seconds ago was replaced with a slight grimace as he acknowledged my presence.Why does this always happen? Does he really dislike me so much? Is it just me or is it everyone? No, not Choji, not Kiba, not even Sasuke, for crying out loud! What is it about me that's so undesirable? I give up! On the whole darn thing! Maybe this was just a bad idea. It doesn't matter what kind of excuse I have for being here if he doesn't care one way or another. So, if he doesn't want me here, I'll just leave.I turned away, about to go back through the house, the winding streets behind it, into my house, into my room, ready to curl up on my bed, completely unprepared (as always) for the coming storm, but I found myself physically incapable.

My eyes were liquid flame as I glared at his hands tangled up in the hand sign that bound me. "Seriously? Shadow possession? You know I was just going to leave since you obviously can't stand my being around." I'm sure my tone betrayed my anger despite the volume.

He hesitated before answering. "Sorry..." He said, obviously still a pretty much out of it. I melted, and cursed my weakness. "You haven't answered my question yet..." He reminded me."And I won't until you release me.""Right, sorry." Control was returned to me and Shikamaru's head returned to the back of the chair."Choji's at the door.""He wants to go to the Ramen shop, right?""How would I know? Why don't you ask him?"He sighed and lazily dragged himself to his feet. He went to speak to Choji, while I went to the kitchen to stir the frozen bag of food I had dumped into a pot for dinner. From my position at the stove, I didn't hear too much of their conversation, but I caught enough of it to interpret Choji's confusion at my answering Shikamaru's door. He had no idea why I was here.

I couldn't help but giggle at Choji's shocked, awkward silence when Shikamaru had been unable to offer any explanation as to why I was at his house. I don't blame him, Choji's a smart guy, and I know what he must've assumed was going on, especially since Shikamaru's parents are on a week-long vacation. Shikamaru, desperately searching for some suitable explanation that didn't include any specific details of why exactly I was here, said, "My parents are gone for the week, so..." I hadn't heard what he said after that, but I'm sure it was some swear or another.

His hands were tied. It was either tell Choji that I was babysitting him, or tell him that we were suddenly a couple, which I'm sure would've confused Choji more than the first option.

I wouldn't blame Choji, not one bit; after all, I'm just not the type of girl to sneak into a boy's house while his parents just happen to be on vacation for a week. I'm the type of girl who rarely goes to parties, spends practically all daylight hours training, but on weekends just happens to be a hermit with her two best friends. There isn't much room for boys in that lifestyle, in fact, I don't remember ever dating at all, which would explain Choji's awkward silence was followed by a mumbled exchange of "Maybe next time…"s, and a couple innocent goodbyes. Shikamaru came back into the kitchen, looking bored as ever, but desperately avoiding my gaze. I felt bad for the guy, after all, now there'll be loads of rumors and gossip, especially if Ino heard… I shuddered.

Although, after a few moments, it was all I could do to smother my laughter. I sighed. I knew I'd be happy to take this job, even if I had only thought about being with Shikamaru when I took the job...

{…}"Hello? Sunai?" Shikaku had asked."Um, yeah, hi. What do you need?" The phone had woken me up from the nap I had taken to help relieve the excitement of finally signing up for the chunin exams, so I didn't really register that Shikaku calling me at 8:30 at night was a little more than a little unusual."Sorry for calling so late, but I couldn't seem to reach you all day..." The poor guy seemed really uncomfortable. I wondered why."No problem, What do you need?" I said, cutting straight to the point. I wanted to go back to bed, but what he said next shocked me so bad that I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night...and most of the three and a half weeks after..."Well, you see, my wife and I are going on a week-long vacation starting on the first of next month, and well, you know how she is... So, we were wondering if you would be willing to… baby-sit Shikamaru?" I was speechless, but as usual, since I had nothing to say, I blurted the first full sentence that popped into my head."Shikamaru?" I asked, unbelieving. "Look. I know this is weird, and you probably have plans, just like every OTHER responsible person in Konoha, but...well, at least the pay is good."

When he told me the hourly pay, my eyes popped out of my head. I had to swallow my shout for joy. Ten dollars an hour for twelve hours a day. Twelve times seven is...a lot. Enough to buy me, well just about anything I could want. So much money... But it just didn't make sense…"Why do you want me to baby-sit him? Aren't there other people in Konoha?""All of our, um, usual sitters are taken, and his Yoshino insists on...you're responsible, right? Besides, you're older than him.""Just by a few days, besides, Shikamaru's stronger, faster, probably more responsible, and way smarter than I am." I pointed out."You're still older, and in his mom's eyes, that makes you more qualified to take care of him than even he is. But I guess if you don't want to do it, than I'm not gonna-""I'll do it! Which day does it start, again?" For the rest of the week, I was unable to concentrate on anything else. Even the chunin exams had been pushed to the side of my mind.

{…}When I finished eating dinner, it was about 6:30. Shikamaru had already gone back to his room, no doubt napping. I wondered if he ever did anything productive.

It began to rain.

Despite the cold and dark of oncoming winter, I hurried to open the windows to let in the scent. It wasn't raining hard, and I was hoping it'd last so the smell would stay for a while longer, but I was practically praying that it wouldn't start thundering.

I settled on the couch by the biggest window, completely immersed in rain-smells. I picked up my newest paperback. It was a collection of novellas. There was a science fiction, a few classics, a romance, even a horror. The first one I read was a classic, about a young woman, and a handsome young man, and their battle against high society. The second was a science fiction, about killer plants, one I hadn't read before, but it was beginning to grow on me.

By the time I had finished with that one, it was so cold in the room (thanks to the open windows) that I had goose bumps, but the scent of rain still remained, so I burrito-ed myself in a blanket and made some hot chocolate to keep myself warm. I was growing more and more tired, but I couldn't leave until 10:00 which was, after all, what I was getting paid for.

Now warm, and wrapped in soft, fluffy fabric, I must have dozed off. I woke up to the sound of my new book slipping from my hand with a smack. I checked the clock on the wall. 10:20.

I need to get home.I got up and shook off the feeling of slumber, then headed back to the kitchen to wash my mug.

By this time, night had claimed the skies for its own, hiding monster storm clouds from my gaze. The noise was like two boulders caught up in a fistfight. My heart skipped a beat. I sucked in a breath so hard that it made my chest ache. My toes curled and I collapsed onto the couch, as my limbs flailed, blanket sliding off of my quaking frame. My empty mug went first, smashing to bits against the glossy hardwood floor. Then the lamp.

Great.

My only light snuffed out, I sat in the shadows all alone and in someone else's house listening to the mother of all thunder storms without even my blanket to protect me. I whimpered.

Why didn't I close the windows?I was curled into a shrimp and hyperventilating on the cold, stiff couch when I felt a pair of warm hands firmly planted on my shoulders."What's wrong!" he asked, alarmed from the crashing of the light and cup."Shika-" Another roll of thunder, the loudest one yet, shot me up to first soprano pitches. I was mad. This wasn't supposed to happen here. This was not the impression I wanted to make. I felt weak, embarrassed, and let's not forget frightened out of my wits. Tears squeezed out my eyes.

He climbed on the couch and tried to figure out why I was freaking out.

"What happened? Are you hurt? Tell me!" Another crash of thunder came, and I think he figured it out. His rigid urgency softened. He sighed, and pulled me close enough to be sure that I wasn't going to start convulsing.I buried my face into his chest and cried. Every time thunder boomed, lighting reaching out for me, I hid in Shikamaru's arms. Eventually, I was clinging to him, but I really did not care.

He was so warm; I wanted to drown myself in him. Eventually, even the chill in my toes disappeared, probably because I was wrapped now not just in his arms, but out of my shrimp-form, I wore him like a blanket. We shared the sofa now. My head was on his chest and he was staring into my eyes. I couldn't keep track of time, everything seemed hazy, as though I was dreaming.

In his arms, my breathing slowed to normal long before the thunder stopped. I could hear his steady heartbeat under my ear, accented nicely by the now calm rain. I felt his gentle breathing rise and fall. My fingers tingled on his chest.

Somewhere inside, the annoying reality checker reminded me that this was Shikamaru I was with, and that I don't usually have dreams so intricate or vivid. In response, my eyes widened and my cheeks were set aflame. I scrambled off of him and he must have realized similar feelings or something, because soon we were both sitting ramrod straight at either end of the couch, three cushions separating us. "Shi-""I-" We both started. Silence. Again, we stared into each others eyes, his gaze searching for something, mine explaining something, although I wasn't quite sure what. I looked away first. "I am so sorry. For-and-unh… I'm… just gonna..." I stood, shaking, and made my way past the other end of the couch, closer and closer to to the front door."Maybe...I shouldn't come back in the morning..." It was as much a question as it was half-hearted."I mean I'm sure you can take care of yourself, and you don't ev-" He stood. I slipped past the side table and retreated carefully over the smashed ceramic."I'll-uh, I'll pick that up tomorrow. I am so, so-" He caught my wrist as I began to pace steadily backwards. "Don't be." He said. His grasp was light, but it was all that kept me from bolting out the front door. I opened my mouth to speak, but those eyes, those kind, gentle, addicting, beautiful eyes silenced me. Finally, I managed to mutter, "I should...morning-uh-come?" I've heard once that eyes are portals to one's soul. What does he see in mine? I had the distinct feeling of being in a dream. I took a step closer in a carefully measured pace, carefully thinking, thinking about what next what happens next in this wonderful turn of events? I wondered when had I fallen asleep. Lying in his arms after the storm? Reading my book, or before I even started reading? I just couldn't seem to remember. Oh well... My head was foggy with a sense of unrealness. At this point I was almost sure that this was a dream. It was too good to be true. I thought. This sort of thing never happens in real life.

Izumie and Sora are gonna flip when I tell them about it. …I wonder, can I control what happens here? Hm... Well, as long as I'm dreaming... I stepped forward, closing the last to or so inches between us. Soon I was lost. I was drowning in him, but I didn't mind. Even in death I would want more. I closed my eyes. Will it kill me?

I wondered. I took a deep breath, and looked up at him. His eyes held a special sort of warmth.

He drew me back to the couch.

He held me.

Please don't let go.

I slept.

So, this is the first of many chapters... Should i add more?

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PLEASE GIVE FEEDBACK

This version is the best edited one thus far, but it still has some kinks to work out and I realize this.

Hmmm... what else... Oh yeah, this is my first post (exciting) but i still don't know how it'll actually look... so... forgive my ignorance.

Izumi (c) her maker

Sora (c) lala

Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino are (c) Masashi Kishimoto

Sunai (c) me