I apologize for any puking or retching you have during this story. At the moment, I should be writing some Chemistry paper on Nuclear Energy, but I'd honestly rather write about something more interesting XD. I'd originally planned a ShikaChou fic, but I've yet to start that at the moment.

Diclaimer: I do not own any characters portrayed within this story with the exception of the second male lead. In no way shape or form do I receive monetary profit from the creation of this fic.

Late October brought forth a blazing display amongst the trees in Konoha; a testament to the Land of Fire. After a rather lengthy and tiresome series of peace negotiations, Konoha had received a lull in the demand for ninja, leaving the village's shinobi to their own devices. A solid week had gone by with not so much as an urgent letter or explosion, giving Konoha's ninja the rare opportunity to relax and unwind. Like the day-lit hours, this span of time seemed to be slowly drifting further away, threatening to vanish like a wisp of smoke in a moments notice. With the first hints of winter nipping at the villagers' noses, a shroud of laziness seemed to descend upon Konoha. The usually diligent ninja shied from their training. Today, they were occupying their time by sitting in front of their old school.

"Hey, do you guys know who that kid is?"

Chouji scratched his first chin as he awaited the others' responses. There was a kid sitting under a tree near the entrance of the academy. He was pretty good looking, Chouji had to admit, but he had the kind of face you'd pass by in a crowd without ever noticing. The black hair and fair skin did nothing to distinguish him from anyone else in Konoha. Plus, his build was slightly heavier than skinny, but lighter than heavy, so he could only be described as average. The forehead protector hanging lop-sided on his neck revealed that he was a shinobi though.

"Um..." Hinita mumbled softly.

"Wait... Who?" Ino was obviously too busy paying attention to the scratch in her nail polish.

"What're you talking about Chouji? I don't see anyone." Naruto was a little more blunt than the rest. Chouji palm was nearly to his forehead when he realized the kid was gone. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the shadow of someone walking.

Chouji rounded the corner of the Academy building to find the kid training. Back there they had a large field for sparring and exercising as well as multiple obstacle and training courses. Currently, he was wailing on a giant log that served as a dummy. By the time Chouji looked back to see if the others were coming, they were practically stacking on top of him.

"That's that kid... I don't remember his name, but I think it was 'Teddy' or something," mumbled Kiba. "I've seen him training sometimes, and Akamaru recognizes his scent."

For some reason, Chouji could've sworn he remembered meeting a Teddy, but the exact memory eluded him. It might've been at the Hokage's funeral, but he couldn't be sure since practically the entire village had turned out for it. He fiddled with the straps of his red armor and flicked a little dust off of it.

"Wait, he's in our class?," Naruto blurted. "I would've seen him if he was!"

"You couldn't see a stripe on a zebra, Dumbass," Shikamaru sighed. "He wasn't even in our year either. He's one of the new genins I think."

Naruto stood there fuming as Lee stepped forward. "I... I am ashamed," he confessed, hanging his head. "I never took notice of our comrade before." After a quick pause, he screamed, "We shall be best friends!!!" Stamping his feet into the ground, he took a herioc pose there with his hair blowing in the wind until Tenten smacked him in the back of the head.

"Lee! You don't just go and be best friends with someone, you have to get to know them first," she chided. "But there's something pretty familiar about him... I could've sworn I've seen with him before, but I just can't remember..."

"Now that you mention it...," Neji mumbled absent-mindedly. All eyes were on him in an instant. They obviously expected him to shed some light on the situation. Instead, his cheek twitched slightly and his hands balled into fists. "What?" He turned a cold stare on them that could've spoiled milk.

"Hm... well, he's not that good anyways," commented Naruto who watched the controlled, precise kick and punch combos the kid was throwing at the dummy. His strikes were slow and deliberate, but not for long. His pace gradually picked up momentum, growing faster with each blow that landed. Pretty soon, all that could be seen was a blur of movement followed by what sounded like firecrackers as each hit was scored in quick succession.

Lee looked on appreciatively, obviously admiring Teddy's apparent skill in tai-jutsu. The rest of the group looked stunned at the display.

"Still not that impressive...," Naruto pouted. Just then, Teddy flipped away and jumped at least ten feet off the ground, kicking up dust in his wake. A split second later, shuriken raced to the dummy like angry hornets. The hits landed consecutively, their sound ringing through the trees like the spray of rapid-fire bullets.

"Amazing!," Hinita squealed softly as she twiddled her fingers. Her harsh bang swayed a little as she tried to get a better look. She was crouched behind Chouji, looking on with an appreciation that nearly matched Lee's, and now Tenten's. In fact, most of the group was so intent on watching that they didn't notice Chouji hadn't said a word since he asked who the kid was. However, everyone could tell that Naruto was getting jealous, but they just let him stew in his own muck.

"Anyways!," Kiba huffed as he scratched his belly. "Anybody wanna go say hi?"

Everyone in the group shook their heads no except for four; Neji, Shikamaru, and Shino because they refused to provide input, and Chouji because he was too entranced to notice Kiba's question.

Suddenly, Teddy stopped and just stood for a second. Everybody held their breath, refusing to betray their location. However, Chouji's knee suddenly decided it would be a splendid time to buckle, so he fell forward with an audible "thump!" as he hit the ground. Just as suddenly as he stopped, Teddy swung around, sending a kunai straight towards them. They froze in terror as the razor sharp weapon flew closer.

Chouji's eyes had been closed tightly shut, and he flinched as he heard the sickening sound of metal splitting wood. When he peeked up, he saw the kunai had skewered a falling leaf and wedged itself into a thick oak tree.

In the time it took Chouji to realize it was over, Teddy had rushed over to them, and was now on the floor bowing his apologies. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me," he begged frantically into the ground.

Reaching out a hand, Chouji stopped his bowing. "It's fine," he answered shakily with a wan smile. Although he'd been scared out of his wits, he tried to give Teddy a kind look, but because of how chinky he was, you couldn't really tell from the eyes; more from the smile. "We're the ones who should be apologizing." Chouji hung his head in apology, prompting the others to follow suit.

From this distance, Chouji could now see Teddy in more detail. He could see that Teddy's eyes were a deep, rich chocolaty brown. Unlike before, his hair was disheveled now, sticking out in odds and ends as a breeze picked up behind him. The training must've been strenuous because he had a sheen of sweat forming over his brow. Chouji was so close that he could smell the scent of crushed pine needles and a hint of spice coming off him.

Upon closer observation of his proportions he noticed a round baby face, and big eyes, but everything else about him small (Chouji would add rather cuddly too) if only for the sake of height. Despite that, Chouji saw that he could've only been a couple of inches taller than the boy.

Teddy waved his hands in front of him frantically, "No, no, it's quite alright!" An awkward pause settled between them as they searched for the right words to say.

"A-anyways, I'm Chouji. Akimichi Chouji," he extended a armored hand in greeting.

Teddy took it politely. "I know. I know all of you actually, but I don't think I've ever formally introduced myself," he turned to the entire group. "My name is Teddy... Just Teddy."

A few of them bowed back, but most went only far enough to give a nod of acknowledgment.

"So... um...," Teddy stuttered. "Was there some particular reason you guys were watching me?" A shaky laugh followed his question, and he gave Chouji a strange look. Those eyes sent shivers down Chouji's spine when he realized how they must have seen the guilt practically dripping off of him.

"Yeah, w-well... Y'know... W-we were just curious, right guys?," Chouji stuttered as he pulled nervously at the bag of chips at his side. The ruffling nearly distracted him from the disconcerting silence pounding against his eardrums. "Guys?"

He looked back to see that his friends had abandoned him. It really wasn't that hard to believe that they'd ditch him, being ninja and all, but it didn't mean that his feelings weren't hurt. Chouji heaved a big sigh as he turned back to Teddy.

"So Teddy...," Chouji muttered. Suddenly, he found himself tripping over his words. The knowledge that he was alone with this guy was enough to send the butterflies in his stomach crazy. The rest of whatever he was going to say was caught up in his throat, but Teddy had mercy on him and didn't push the subject.

"Well, Akimichi Chouji, I don't know about you, but I'm starving," Teddy sighed. He rubbed his stomach slowly while holding the back of his neck. It seemed as though that now that they were alone Teddy was willing to drop his almost Lee-like manners.

Chouji was halfway to answering when his stomach growled. His gaping mouth stayed open as his cheeks flushed scarlet.

Teddy laughed as Chouji attempted to shrink into the building. "C'mon. It'll be my treat."

If the stomach was the stairway to a man's heart, Chouji's stomach was an elevator. With every moment they neared the restaurant, Teddy was one step closer to having a one-way ticket to Chouji's heart.

Teddy wasn't sure how to react to the events earlier. What he did was polite, but by no means smart. Smart would have been giving him a quick, "Nice to meet you," or "See you later,", but that never occurred to him until after he'd invited Chouji to lunch. That wasn't to say he didn't like Chouji; quite the contrary really.

As they walked, Teddy tried to keep his distance, while acting causal, and at the same time making sure he wasn't so casual that he seemed disinterested. He found himself having to consciously urge his heart rate down whenever a arm or hand would brush against the other boy next to him.

Despite everything telling him not to, he allowed himself to glance over at Chouji, if only for a second.

His customary Akimichi armor and headdress hung heavily on him, though their weight never showed in his stride. Teddy had to angle his head up to see his face, though he wasn't that much taller. The kind, gentle smile seemed to always be planted on his lips, flanked by the swirling tattoos; the markings of his clan. Teddy could almost snort; as if anybody would mistake him for an Uchiha or Hyuuga. Chouji was much too kind and his manner held no trace of the inner conflicts of those clans.

Traveling lower, Teddy noticed that Chouji wasn't actually as fat as the others let him on to be. Sure, he had a pocket of fluff here and there, but when it boiled down to it, he was, in fact, just built big; probably just an Akimichi thing. In other words, he was the size he was meant to be, and Teddy could respect that. Since those days when he was the proverbial Rudolf of ninja games, he'd actually slimmed down quite a bit. The gibes he got about his weight were just fueled by the nature of his techniques more than anything. Besides, Teddy had always liked his guys a little... bigger.

For a split second, Chouji's eyes shot up to meet Teddy's. If they weren't using their feet for walking, they'd probably be kicking themselves from embarrassment.

"So, any ideas about where we're headed?," asked Teddy awkwardly. "If not, I know this good barbecue place..."

"Barbecue?," Chouji blurted. That one word alone could pry him from the cold grip of death.

Teddy was blushing from the Chouji's sudden stirring of interest. "Y-yeah, but I mean, if y-you want... I... um..."

"No, no! Barbecue is perfect," Chouji reassured. He tried to ease Teddy's mind with a pat on the back. Unconsciously, Chouji let his hand linger a little longer than was necessary.

"Oh, look. We're here!," Teddy beamed as they neared the doorway of the restaurant. He turned to Chouji and smiled. "Are you still hungry?"

"I-," Chouji started before his stomach growled again. "Yeah"

He hid his face as he just stood there again before Teddy grabbed his arm and dragged him to through the door.

"Wow," Teddy burped and sat back in his seat as he watched Chouji continue to eat nonchalantly. "I have to be at least a couple pounds heavier." He rubbed the bulge in his stomach. Looking up at Chouji's goofy smile had him smiling too.

Chouji found the sight of Teddy grumbling from across the table pretty cute. "Well, I'm sorry to say that I probably beat you in that department," he joked with a firm pat to his tummy. Chouji had just given up on the pleasantries and spoke between morsels as he let the chopsticks in his hands hang limply in his grip.

"Sorry," Teddy mumbled apologetically.

Chouji waved the apology away. "Don't be" After a long pause, Chouji's voice took on a serious tone. "So, you live alone?" Teddy nodded. "Naruto's the only other kid I've heard of who lives by themselves."

An awkward moment passed after Teddy's laugh subsided. "Well, my parents died a while ago on a mission, and they left me enough to live off of until I'm old enough to pay my own way. I don't have very many memories of them, so it's nothing new," Teddy murmurred darkly as Chouji continued to chew. It was eerily familiar to Naruto's situation.

The seconds ticked by as the dull roar of activity in the restaurant bustled around them. Chouji couldn't bring himself to do anything but take the occasional bite of barbecue. Teddy's words weighed heavily on his mind. What would it be like if he was alone in the world? Teddy lived by himself for what could have been years, and before today, Chouji and the others didn't even know he existed.

Chouji looked seriously at the boy across from him. The heat billowing from the barbecue pit sent the image fluttering, as if a sheet of water rippled between them. His cheeks were slightly flushed and his hair a bit ruffled as he ran his hand through the locks near his ears that were just long enough to wrap around a finger.

Turning his attention back to the waning flames of the small barbecue grill, Chouji noticed there was only one more piece left sizzling against the grating. His eyes darted back to Teddy staring dreamily out of a window and to the barbecue left on the grill again.

"Here, Teddy," Chouji offered as he picked up the barbecue. He glanced about to make sure there was nobody he recognized. Shikamaru would never let him live it down if he saw what he was about to do.

"Hm...?," Teddy hummed, snapping gently back to reality. "Thank you, Chouji, but it's yours." Teddy gave him a smile, but it faded a little when he realized that Chouji wasn't budging.

On the other end of the chopsticks, Chouji was determined to show Teddy the magnitude of the gesture. It pained him to part with the last piece, but it he felt like he owed Teddy something for footing the bill, though he had to admit that he found his expression pretty adorable.

"Just take it," Chouji growled gruffly. He made no motion to proceed or withdraw, leaving it all up to Teddy.

"Um... alright," Teddy blushed. His chopsticks were already taken by waiter, so he had no idea how he was supposed to eat it. Teddy peered at his hands and saw the dust covered digits curling under his sight. It took him a second to realize what Chouji was getting at.

Teddy awkwardly took the meat between his teeth and chewed it slowly under Chouji's watchful gaze. Flustered, he tried hiding his face in his hands, but found himself fumbling with the movement as the blush overtook his cheeks.

"Ch-Chouji, I have to go...," Teddy mumbled, snapping Chouji out of a trance who hadn't even noticed that he was staring.

"W-what?," Chouji blurted. "Wait, where? Do you need some company?" His inner-Chouji slapped him for how desperate that sounded.

"No, it's alright. I'll see you tomorrow, though, right?"

Chouji frowned as a thoughtful look shifted over his brow. "Alright... I guess..."

Teddy hastily packed his things into a small knapsack. "It's alright, I'll find you. Okay? But I've really got to go, so I'll see you later, Chouji!," he rambled as he dashed out the door, leaving a pouting Chouji.

"What'd I do?," he thought to himself.

The door opened a crack and Teddy scurried into his two room apartment. To the left, an open door revealed the plain white bathroom fixtures that cast a dull reflection in the dim light. To the right was a window that gave a splendid view of the roads. The apartment was pretty high up, so there was always a fair amount of light coming in through the window despite the tall trees.

He shucked off his shoes and flung his bag onto the large chest off to the side. Skirting around the large shelf that served as a partition for his kitchen and living room, Teddy flopped onto his couch. Doing what he usually does when he needs to digest a thought, he stared at the ceiling, tracing the spiderweb pattern of cracks in the paint above his head. Slowly, he let his body relax and turned his thoughts to the events that unfolded today.

Until now, nobody had really taken notice of him. It wasn't a particularly bad existence, but that still didn't mean he was happy with it. Then again, it would probably spare him from the embarrassment that he just experienced.

Clenching his eyes, he cursed those butterflies that seemed to delight in his humiliation. What was it about Chouji that made him feel so... odd? He didn't consider himself an eloquent speaker, but when he was around Chouji, the nerves of his tongue liked to take a vacation.

Turning to face the window, Teddy let his eyes close and drifted to sleep.

I really have no idea where this story is going, but it's a start. Read and review if you'd like.