Title: "Things We Do"
Author: blurredoasis
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Kiba/Shikamaru (with possible splashes of other couples)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Shounen ai, swearing
Summary: Kiba screwed up. Royally. To make it up to his boyfriend and prove that he does actually care, he sets up a scavenger hunt of sorts for him.
Disclaimer: Not mine

"You did something wrong, didn't you?" Naruto questioned, leaning over his friend's shoulder to get a better look at what the dog boy was doing.

"Yeah. I really fucked up this time though. Shikamaru won't say anything to me. Usually when I screw up, he makes some witty remark I don't understand but is his way of scolding me. This time, he blinked and walked away. Said nothin'! So I gotta make it up to him."

"And this involves what you're doin' how?"

"Well, I'm miserable at that lovey-dovey stuff, it is half the reason I'm dating a guy. He doesn't mind if I forget to get him chocolates on Valentine's Day or his birthday or any other day girls normally scream at us for forgetting. Heck, Shikamaru didn't know I turned 19 until two days later when Ino came to pay me for the bet she made at my birthday party. Remember, it was the party you and Shika missed cuz of some stupid B-rank mission? You threw such a tantrum when you came back and realized we got Hinata drunk? Well, tipsy, cuz Neji threatened to kill us if we gave her anything more to drink." Naruto nodded faintly, but he really had no clue. Taking too many direct hits from Sakura over the years left him with nothing that resembled a long term memory. "Anyways, she bet that I couldn't put my feet behind my head, and I proved her wrong. That I can thank Shikamaru for." The blond paled slightly at the unpleasant imagery. Kiba didn't notice or didn't care—which were both accurate judgments of general Kiba behavior—and continued to ramble. "So, I really screwed up with him, and I had to find a way to make it up to him. With no clue what to do, I turned to Hinata. She suggested that girls like to hear why their man loves em, so I thought maybe Shikamaru would like to hear too."

Naruto seemed to be contemplating something, the gears in his head squeaking loudly from his churning thoughts. "...do I want to know?" He pondered, more to himself than to Kiba. "Ah, oh well, ya live once, right? What exactly did you do to Shikamaru? I thought besides taking away his games he is impossible to piss off." He braced himself, getting ready for some story about whips, chains, sandpaper, and other popular items in the rumors that were spun about the two. Well, to be fair to Shikamaru, those items involved rumors mainly with Kiba and his... habits. More revolved about his habits with the lazy teen just because the couple had been going out longer than any other of their friends.

"Too embarrassing." Kiba said quickly, trying hide the faint blush that crept on his cheeks. "I don't wanna talk about it. Hand me those scissors." Naruto's eyes followed where Kiba was gesturing and obeyed. Under breath, with his canines flashing, the dog boy grumbled, "He better enjoy this."

"Isn't Shikamaru more the 'let's watch clouds or lounge in a hammock' guy?"

Kiba snorted loudly. "That isn't going to work anymore. It has to be better. I told you, I really fucked up. This is beyond 'I will sit nice and still and spend time with you'. This is nearly groveling on my hands and knees and begging for forgiveness. But I got too much pride for that, so I'm hoping these notes will work just as well. Come on, Naruto, you can help me spread them around town. A little scavenger hunt should help smooth things over." He fanned out the various colored pieces of paper in his hands, mentally counting the spots they had to visit.

"...won't making Shikamaru find all these only get him madder? Cuz he's gonna have to walk around town looking for them."

"Ah, but the beauty in all of it is after I talked to Hinata, I talked to Neji. He nearly sliced my head off with one of those large shuriken—by the way, he still has no sense of humor and hasn't forgot about that water balloon incident." Naruto winced slightly, never afraid of anything, but the wrath of the Hyuuga always brought ugly memories. That didn't resister long in his mind as his best friend carried on. "But he helped me in the long run."

"Neji helped you?" The blond blinked a few times. That was a sentence he never thought he would hear someone say.

"Well, yes, not really willingly though. I had Shino with me and you know how insects follow him like a dog and a tennis ball. A spider landed on Neji's shoulder and he squealed. Damn you should have been there Naruto. He—-the 'I'm holier than thou with stiff rods where sane men fear to go' Hyuuga prodigy--freakin squealed! I'm not supposed to tell anybody in exchange for his helping me, but he should know better than to think I'd keep my mouth shut."

"Squealed, eh? Next time he acts all tough with me I'll have to mention that."

"Yeah, Shino is the greatest friend. Besides another Aburame, I don't think anybody in Konoha likes insects. I personally don't mind them, but there are some really nasty ones--"

"Kiba." Naruto said sharply, cutting off the rant that was sure to come out if he let him. Using the metaphoric leash to get him back on topic, he asked, "So, what does Neji have to do with you making Shikamaru walk around town?"

"With his help, I figured out Shikamaru's favorite spots and how to order em, so the distance around town is the shortest."

"You really love him, don't ya?"

"I wouldn't do this for anybody, would I?" Kiba glared at Naruto, unable to understand his density towards the most obvious thing sometimes. The funny thing is, most people thought that about Kiba too.

"Make up sex would funner."

"Funner?" A smack to Naruto's head ended the pitiful life of another brian cell. "I would be nicer, I'd be the first to admit. But, I'm in it for more than that body of his." His eyes glazed over for a second, no doubt drifting off to KibaWorld. What exactly was in KibaWorld was something Naruto decided he'd rather be ignorant about, something he figured was best for his own sanity when a small droplet of drool oozed out Kiba's mouth, plopping to his hand below. It took a sizable puddle on the table to finally shock the dog boy back to reality. Smiling wildly at his best friend, he laughed, "And now, you can help me, eh Naruto?"

"Hey, isn't this supposed to be between the two of you! How did I get roped into this!"

"You stopped by to say hi, and now that you are here, you might as well help. Come on!" Kiba yanked on Naruto's sleeve.

"Oh..." Naruto moaned, but followed Kiba out of the Inuzuka house. He had a really weird feeling about this.

TBC...