Just a random bit of fluff I came up with. If anyone is interested, please motivate me to carry on writing 'The Beauty of Suffering' otherwise I'm just going to leave it at chapter 2. Please enjoy xxx

Sakura watched with a bemused expression as Konoha's newest couple walked down the street, hand in hand. She had to admit, Naruto and Shikamaru were extremely cute together. But something confused her about their relationship.

In the nicest way possible, Naruto was not the sharpest tool in the box. He was rash, running headlong into any situation without some much as a bye or leave. Shikamaru, on the other hand, was, quite simply, a genius. He thought logically about every single move he made, rarely letting emotion rule his actions.

So why on Earth were these polar opposites together? The phrase 'opposites attract' came to mind, but this was kind of ridiculous. She just didn't get it. She was glad they were happy together; she just couldn't comprehend why a stoic genius like Shikamaru would go for an emotional knucklehead like Naruto. So she decided to ask why.

On a hot summer's day, as Naruto trained (shirtless, to Shikamaru's pleasure) and Shikamaru was reading, Sakura appeared. "Hey." She greeted friendlily, setting herself down next to Shikamaru. He grunted in response, turning the page of his book, pretending he wasn't staring at Naruto's toned body, muscle's flexing in the sun as sweat trickled down along the contours of... This train of thought, and where it was leading, caused him to blush lightly.

"Shikamaru, can I ask you a question?" Sakura spoke suddenly.
"You just did." He pointed out with a chuckle.
"Why are you with Naruto?" Shikamaru seemed taken aback by this.
"Because I love him..." But he shook his head the second the words left his lips. "I do love him, but it's something deeper than that."

Sakura watched in interest as he shut his eyes, brows furrowing as he contemplated the answer. A small smile graced his lips, and he told her a quote his father taught him long ago. "Without light, shadows cannot exist. Because without light, the shadow would disappear into the darkness." He looked up, watching Naruto's graceful movements intensely. "I suppose Naruto is my light. We're like yin and yang; perfectly balancing out one another. We complete one another." Sakura sighed, wondering when Shikamaru had become so romantic.
"That's lovely Shikamaru-San." She murmured, and following his gaze, watched Naruto continue, oblivious to the lovely words his boyfriend had spoken. Sakura could no longer imagine either Naruto or Shikamaru without the other. They were perfect for one another.

"And, you know," Shikamaru continued, snapping Sakura out of her thoughts and looking into the midday sky at some rogue clouds passing over the spotless, cerulean sky. "He's really hot too."

Thank you for reading, I hope it wasn't too terrible/sickly. Rates/reviews are not necessary but always appreciated :)) I hope you enjoyed this, and if not, feel free to tell me so XP xxx