Day 4 of my 2018 fluffy soulmate AUs Valentine's project!
"You're late." Ino said, narrowing her eyes.
Shikamaru paused by the table and quirked one brow at her. "And?"
Ino rolled her eyes, gesturing for him to sit down. "I know you're always late-"
"Not when it's important." Shikamaru said, yawning and slouching into the chair opposite her. Ino narrowed her eyes at being dismissed by implication as unimportant, even if it was just under the category of coffee with one of her best friends.
"I still-" Ino broke off with a gasp. "You!" She pointed at Shikamaru, where his slouch had revealed a chakra-blue butterfly emblazoned on the left side of his neck as his flak vest shifted.
"Yeah?" Shikamaru smiled vaguely at the waitress as he ordered coffee, then turned his attention back to Ino as she swept off again. "I'm here." he said, glancing at Ino's still extended hand and then up to meet her eyes.
"You have a soulmark!" Ino hissed, leaning over the table towards him. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me? Who is she?" she demanded, keeping her voice lower than she wanted to in deference to the subject.
Shikamaru snorted and matched her gesture, elbows braced on the table. "Would you tell you, faced with that greeting?" he asked dryly, then slid back in his seat again. "Anyway, it was only yesterday and you didn't exactly give me a chance." He raised an eyebrow again, his lips curving and a softer look shading his dark eyes.
"I-" Ino sighed, leaning back in her chair. "All right, I didn't." she admitted. "I'm sorry." She'd been so surprised she'd gotten overexcited. And Shikamaru never got excited about anything so he very well might have just not mentioned it, she thought, eyes narrowing, even if it hadn't been only yesterday.
"Besides, did you tell me?" Shikamaru raised his eyebrows and lifted his head, chin jabbing towards Ino.
She raised a hand to the soft pink botan that peeked out from beneath her halter top, above her heart. "You knew." she countered sharply.
"But you didn't tell me." Shikamaru said, accepting his coffee cup from the waitress and turning it idly on the table.
"Fine." Ino huffed. "So? Who is she?"
Ino couldn't help a smile as the soft look returned to Shikamaru's face. Ino would absolutely give him a hard time for weeks, no matter who it was, but she was happy one of her best friends was happy.
Shikamaru sipped his coffee, meeting Ino's eyes over the rim of the mug, then pulled out a cigarette, though he didn't move to light it, only rolled it between his fingers. "Chouji." he said quietly, and Ino looked up automatically, expecting to see their friend, before she realised.
"Oh!" Ino's eyes widened, then she smiled. "You know," she said thoughtfully, after a few moments, "I really should have known."
"I didn't know." Shikamaru pointed out with a frown.
"Yes, but you're dumb about emotional things. You don't think about them." Ino said dismissively, waving a hand. "Now. Tell me."
"What?" Shikamaru asked, eyebrows arching, and Ino rolled her eyes and banged a hand on the table for emphasis.
"Shika!" Ino narrowed her eyes at him, though her smile didn't fade this time. "Tell me!"
"Shika!" Chouji grinned, sitting up as Shikamaru approached their usual spot. He reached up in welcome. Shikamaru clasped his hand and Chouji pinked as he dropped a kiss on the dark soulmark shadowing the inner side of Chouji's wrist before settling beside him, head falling to rest on his shoulder. "Ah. . . How was Ino?" he asked.
Shikamaru hummed, stretching languidly. "She's probably going to yell at you as well, later, but she's happy for us under her. . ."
"Ino-ness?" Chouji suggested, toying with one of Shikamaru's tiny silver earrings. She was their best friend - the third puzzle piece of their very effective team - and they loved her, but Ino was a force of nature and far more terrifying than most enemies Chouji had ever faced. Also yelling was just how Ino processed things, however she felt about them - when she'd first found her soulmate the yelling had been. . . Impressive. Even for Ino.
It all seemed very exhausting to Chouji, even if Sakura was perfectly willing and able to match Ino every step of the way when she got loud, these days. When their soulmarks had first shown up they had yelled at each other and fought over what seemed like half the village before finally calming down. As much as they ever calmed down.
"Mm." Shikamaru twisted, lying back and resting his head in Chouji's lap. He smiled, running his fingers through Shikamaru's spiky ponytail. Shikamaru wriggled a little before going even more lax in Chouji's lap, tipping his head back when Chouji's fingers strayed to his throat, finding his soulmark, tracing the fiery edges of the butterfly's wings.
Shikamaru smiled, half-lidded eyes warm and fond, and Chouji traced the curve of his thin lips with a thumb, remembering the feel of them against his own.
Chouji stiffened, wondering what had possibly come over him as he jerked back from Shikamaru, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth. His eyes dropped to Shikamaru's mouth, which had been firm and unresponsive against his own when he-
Shikamaru's tongue swept over them almost contemplatively, and Chouji felt his cheeks flushing. "What- Why did you do that?" Shikamaru asked, looking uncharacteristically wrong-footed.
Chouji fought not to cringe. "I- I'm sorry, it was. . . You just looked so upset," he licked his lips, fidgeting, "and I . . . wanted to cheer you up. It was an impulse, I guess, I don't know why I thought I should- Shika?"
Shikamaru had winced, ducking sideways, and Chouji hurriedly apologised again, but Shikamaru waved him off, face twisting briefly like he was in pain . . . and then he reached up to his neck, moving his collar away, and Chouji's eyes widened at the splotch of blue revealed there.
"Your soulm- you have a soulmark!" Chouji felt unaccountably happy for a single moment, then suddenly awful as he realised- And Shikamaru hadn't told Chouji that he had found his soulmate - not that he had to, but. . .
"No, I don't. . ." Shikamaru rubbed his neck, then looked down just as Chouji jumped, registering a wash of pain with a slight burn, like a release of chakra. He looked down at his wrist and his eyes widened as he saw the Nara clan symbol spiralling into being there, with a double image just behind it, edges wispy and fading rather than crisp, like a cloud - or the shadow of a cloud. "But I do now." Shikamaru reached out, strong fingers curling around Chouji's wrist, half-obscuring the new soulmark.
Chouji wavered a little, shocked and amazed and-
"Chouji?" Shikamaru said, thumb rubbing over the soulmark.
Chouji looked up at him, trying to gauge his reaction and failing to suppress his own grin.
He needn't have worried, he realised as Shikamaru pulled him closer by his wrist and kissed him softly. This time Shikamaru's thin, firm mouth was soft and responsive, and when Chouji's hands came up to his waist without thinking he stepped even closer, cupping Chouji's cheek with his free hand.
"Shika. . ." Chouji said as he pulled away, a little breathless, meeting Shikamaru's gaze.
"Heh, you did cheer me up." Shikamaru said with a slanted smile and a soft look in his eyes, moving closer again and sliding his arms around Chouji's shoulders. Chouji grinned, returning the embrace, his heart warm and light. "Hey. Chouji."
"Mm?" Chouji idly rubbed one hand up and down Shikamaru's back, sliding up beneath his flak vest.
"What's mine?" Shikamaru asked, straightening a bit and gesturing to his neck.
Chouji blinked.
"You know, since I can't exactly see it." Shikamaru continued, cocking his head to one side and tugging at the collar of his vest, pulling it further away from his new soulmark.
"Ah, it's- It's a butterfly." Chouji said, pinking.
Shikamaru stilled, meeting his eyes again. "Really?" There was a pause, and then Shikamaru smiled faintly. "Of course it is." The smile broadened into a grin, a bright one that Chouji had always thought was cute, though Shikamaru didn't show it often, and Chouji couldn't help but kiss him again.
"Ne, Chouji?"
Chouji's gaze focused again as he pushed aside the memory of the night before, and he dropped a hand to tug at Shikamaru's ponytail. "Yes?"
"What are you thinking about?" Shikamaru asked, arching an eyebrow.
Chouji bit his lip, hesitating, then leaned down, cradling the nape of Shikamaru's neck in one hand, and kissed him by way of an answer. Shikamaru made a small purring sound, hands coming up to keep Chouji close as his lips parted in invitation.