Yosh! First ShikaLee fic! I'm becomingwaaaay too obsessed with this pairing (but I'll stuck to LeeGaara too, no worry for my other fic)... the genius of hard work and the lazy genius who does not work at all... they can be so fun in my opinion!

One shot with a good amount of fluff ahead... hope you enjoy!

Blame it on the alcohol

It was definitely Ino's fault, Shikamaru was sure about it. He would not be in that hell of a situation, had it not been for his teammate insisting upon they should go out to celebrate the success of the mission and in a bar too. It was her who had used her jutsu to take control of the bar-keeper and made him give them several interesting bottles even if they were underaged. It was no excuse they had paid for them. AND it was her who started with the "Real men can drink with no problem, are you going to let yoursel be beaten by two girls, where is your pride?" thing. And since Lee was stuck to his orange juice for obvious reason (he seemed really happy about it) only Shikamaru was left to defend the pride of the male half of the world.

So he ended stammering to remain on his feet outside the bar, while Ino was throwing up in the alley behind it, with TenTen (who managed to drink almost two whole sakè bottles by herself and being not affected at all) holding her head. Shikamaru crouched and breathed heavily. Man, he just wanted to lie right there ad sleep. Lee was looking at him with worry clear into his big eyes.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Like crap."

"I'm sorry…"

"Yeah, me too."

The girls come out from the alley, TenTen supporting an almost passed out Ino with an arm around her waist.

"She's out" she said in a practical voice. "I'm going to take her home. You stay with Shikamaru?"

"Shika-chan can't hold his liiiiquor… I knew that…" mumbled Ino into her half-sleep.

Shikamaru smirked. He was so going to kill her… "I'm ok. I just need a moment, then I can go back home on my own". And praying his mother was not awake…

TenTen eyed him suspiciously.

"It's on my way home, anyway." Said Lee, merrily. "We can walk together!"

Shikamaru sighed. So he wasn't finished making a show of himself.

"Ok. Nice evening, see ya boys!" TenTen smiled at them, charged Ino on her back and disappeared in the dark. Energetic girl… Shikamaru met Lee's eyes.

"No." He stated firmly. "I can walk."

"All right" said Lee. "Uhm, we can wait a little more here, if you want."

"No, I'm fine. I just need to go to sleep." Shikamaru stood up and, after checking he was aiming towards the right direction, started walking. Lee quickly followed, matching his pace.

"I can't believe I got stuck into a pissing contest with Ino…" growled Shikamaru. It was better if he kept talking, it helped to mantain his focus. Geez, he felt so dumb… losing control like that! And the fact it was Lee, of all the people, taking him home in that miserable condition was a plus he really did not need.

Lee laughed. "She's really crazy… but she's so nice, it's clear you two like each other a lot!"

That gained him a glare.

"Yeah… I love her like the sister I'm happy I never had…"

"You two remind me of myself and TenTen, sometimes…"

That at least was true. The brown-haired girl got the habit to abuse Lee sometimes too… that was probably the reason why she and Ino got along so well, once they got to know themselves a bit more. They probably exchange tips about hair, weapons and abusing team-mates.

That just gone was the third mission they brought up together, the four of them. It was part of the plans of the Godaime to create functional and balanced four people squads, she even splitted and mixed the old genin squads, to increase their cooperation skills, she said. That one had been a get back mission, they had to retrieve some stolen scrolls from a little daimyo, making the whole thing seem like a normal theft. Shikamaru's plan went smooth, with (almost) no problems at all. He and Ino sneaked into the castle, while Lee and TenTen provided diversive and covered the flee. Almost boring, until one of the enemy went up with a Kuchiyose no Jutsu of a enormous, disgusting worm. Between the four of them they managed to hurt it bad enough to make it disappear back where he had come from. So, success. Lee, always the enthusiast, had kept on making happy remarks about the mission along all their way home even covered with worm smoosh.

Shikamaru glanced at Lee, who had started talking about a new technique he was perfectioning. In the past months he got the chance to hang around with the taijutsu boy quite a lot. Well, missions meant some amount (minimal, in Shikamaru's case) of preparation together, but in the end it was just that he liked his company (when Lee was not try to pull him into some of his crazy usual training… he managed to do that with Choji, and that was bad enough).

He sighed, looking up at the dark sky. Liking his company… maybe that was an understatement. But he was still clinging at the chance that all that strange line of thought that started haunting him from some time was dued to resolve into nothing. Yes, he definitely need not that kind of trouble.

He realized he had fallen silent from a while. He put his arms up and stretched, letting a satisfied groan. Uhm, he was feeling better. He glanced around, and recognized the street. They were near that place… the idea struck him. Well, they were already so late, what bad could that do?

"Here. There's a place I want you to see" Shikamaru pointed at a house, standing out because a bit taller than the near buildings.

"Come on." He started walking, and heard Lee following.

Shikamaru went inside the alley between the two buildings and began feeling the wall.

"Uhm, Shikamaru-kun, I don't think that's a good idea" said Lee, looking at the wall completely covered in shadow. "Didn't you want to go to sleep?"

Shikamaru smirked. "I'm not so drunk." He pressed chakra into his feet and started to walk over the wall with easiness. Lee looked up, concern clear into his big dark eyes.

The younger boy stopped, to glance down. "C'mon, I'm taking the trouble to take you there, you could at least show some interest."

"I'll wait for you to reach the roof." said Lee.

Shikamaru shook his head, and went on. Then, just before reaching the top, his control wavered just a little, and his feet slipped, making him lose balance. Quickly, he bent forward, pressed both hands on the wall and pushed downwards, molding chakra to hold to the wall. He put his feet on the wall too, and remained in that awkward spider-like position, feeling immensely dumb (something that didn't happen often to him). That for acting the cool guy…

"Are you ok?"

He turned, to find Lee hanging near him, by an almost invisible creak between the bricks.

Shikamaru stared. Man, that guy was fast.

"Yeah…" he grumbled, and quickly covered the last meters.

When he put his feet over the terrace that was the building's roof, he felt like everything was slightly moving around, the corner of his vision blurring. He crouched down, and took a deep breath. Note to himself: never drink again anything more than beer, if I'm not going to just lie in the place I am for the next twelve hours. Alcohol is troublesome.

Lee was just beside him, obviously wanting to be of help but unsure if he would annoy the younger boy with his excessive caring. Shikamaru gestured to him he was ok.

"Not going to puke… I hope". He straightened a bit, and smiled. "I knew this would be the right night. Look up."

Lee complied, wondering, then Shikamaru heard him hold his breath.

From there, the sky was a real show. The few lights in Konoha streets were too down to interfere, and the dark blue expanse was pointed by the millions of stars usually invisible in a city's night, their pattern even more luminescent because of the moon's absence.

"Whoah… that's…" Lee's head was bended backwards, to the risk of losing balance, and he was staring with his mouth ope. Shikamaru looked up too, then he decided it was better not to swipe around his head too much. "Quite a sight, ne?"

"It's… wonderful!" Lee looked at him with a huge grin on his face. "You know, from the place I usually go training, in the forest, I can look at a nightsky like this, but I didn't think there was a place like this in Konoha! And with no trees it's much a better view!".

Shikamaru chuckled. He got the feeling Lee was somebody who could appreciate this. "This is the place where I come to relax, since I were a kid. It's quite good also by night".

"You are so right…!".

Shikamaru lied back, since it was the best way to enjoy the view without risking to feel sick, but after a little a resumed watching Lee.

He kept staring, turning around, his face the usual outburst of expressions. Happy wonder, a sudden frown, probably while trying to remember the name of some star, sudden satisfaction at doing it. Shikamaru felt his lips curving into a soft smile. Lee was… endearing, to say the least. Something in him was always, always in movement, even when he was standing still. Energy rippled just below his skin, and filled everything he did, everything he said. It was fascinating, to someone with a contemplative soul like Shikamaru, it made him just wanting to keep on watching him, on observing that almost endless sprout. He sighed. He wondered what Choji would have said of he and Lee alone in that place. How a romantic sight… Uhm, ok, he could picture his friend making rooting for them. Talking about that, Shikamaru was sure he had NEVER let the smallest hint about his lately developped Lee-watching obsession with anybody… how Choji had found out was a mistery. He remembered all too well that day at the BBQ when Choji adamantly declared out of the blue that this was a serious thing, and Shikamaru should just stop brooding about it and propose himself. The lazy boy almost choked on his drink. Propose… yeah, sure! And he was NOT brooding about it. Not at all. Not so much at least…

Finally, Lee seemed to decide that Shikamaru's position was the best to look at the sky, and let himself fall back beside him, arms sprawled open.

"This place is great! Thank you for showing me, Shikamaru!"

"It's nothing. I always come here, when I have some time to spare. Sometimes Choji and even Ino come here too." Shikamaru fell silent.

After some moments Lee spoke softly. "You must not be worried." Then his voice took the usual over the top tone "I'm sure Choji's mission will go fine! He's really a good ninja!"

"I know" Shikamaru said, slightly annoyed that Lee immediately got the problem. Choji was away on a mission with his father by a month already, and they were not dued to come back before other two. Shikamaru knew perfectly well Choji could take care of himself, still… not having the chance to look after his best friend troubled him, made him think of the last time he had to leave him behind. But Lee was right. No need to worry.

Silence stretched again, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Shikamaru was sure Lee was thinking about way to insert that place into his training routine, something like "add going around Konoha by night jumping roof to roof without touching the same roof more than one time" with some crazy amendement to do if he failed. Man, all that energy… Lying was making him feel pleasurably hazed. He stirred, then shifted around a little, looking for a comfortable position, and his arm brushed against Lee.

"Are you uncomfortable?" the green-cladded boy asked.

"Nah, it's just…" he squirmed some more, then finally set with his head over Lee's arm. That was better. Then his brain made the connection. He lifted his head.

"Sorry, that's uncomfortable for you…"

Was Lee blushing? Maybe it was the shadow that made him seein things not clear.

"Ah, no… no, just…" Lee moved his arm, with a bit of awkwardness and now Shikamaru's head was resting on Lee's upper arm, while his hand slightly brushed Shikmaru's left arm.

"How's that?"

Shikamaru turned a bit, feeling his spiky ponytail brushing Lee's black hair.

"Much better." He didn't sufferm much on questioning the position. After all Lee was the all touchy-feely guy, his continuous passionate public outbursts with his sensei making that clear to the world. Surely in the intimity he just loved cuddling… but that was not the moment to go there, reminded Shikamaru to himself. After all that was just rather enjoyable. Uhm, actually it was a bit like cuddling.

"Shikamaru?"

"Mmh?"

"Uhm… you know, I've always wanted to say something to you, but I could not quite find the moment." Lee stared straight at the sky. Shikamaru lifted an eybrow.

"Out with it" he said, before some part of his mind started to conjure up strange and most unlikely expectations (which he, in the first place, did never had, and never would).

"It's just… I do believe you really are a good chuunin. I mean… I've never quite got the chance to know you, really, before that first mission three months ago… but now I'm really glad I was put to team up with you. You are a leader born". Shikamaru turned to stare at him, taken aback. He really did not expected this kind of compliment… after all Lee too had someway taken part to that disastrous first mission of him.

Lee suddenly decided that his words would have been much more effective with the help of his trademark burning gaze of youth, and turned to face Shikamaru.

"I mean it! You will turn to be a great ninja, and a Jounin too, very soon, I believe! You got all the skills to do it, you just…" He stopped, probably because he realized his nose was almost touching Shikamaru's, who still glared at him non committedly.

"…need to work a bit harder on it?" Shikamaru ended the sentence, smirking.

Lee turned, and this time he was really blushing. "I was going to say believe in it more." he said in a low voice.

"We'll see…" Shikamaru turned, too. Having people putting so much trust into him was… troublesome, to say the least. It charged with so much responsibility, so much… fear to disappoint them. Shikamaru often tought he could really do without that. Still… Lee's trust, exactly like Choji's, and Ino's, left a sort of warm feeling, not so unpleasurable at all.

"Anyway it's the same about you." He added.

Lee laughed, a little, "Well… I'm on a slightly different level" and the bitter sound in it made Shikamaru wince, then anger.

"Baka!" he reached to lightly five-handed him on the head "I don't take the trouble to say things just to give air to my mouth. You could be a good chuunin too, and you'll be, as soon as the next exam takes place. You got skill, you got guts, you can drive the others with you, with your simple enthusiasm in a way you probably don't even realize. You just need to… think more. It's not only strenght, just like it's not only a matter of Genjutsu or Ninjutsu. It's a matter of strategy, too. Of thinking about your chances and using them. You are the kind of guy who can ask everything to his subordinates, just because they know you would do it twice."

Lee was round-eyeing him, then his face broke in the hugest smile Shikamaru had ever seen without Gai-sensei presence.

"You really think that!"

"As I said…"

"Thank you!" Shikamaru was amazed at how happy his few words had made the other boy.

"It's nothing more than the truth."

Shikamaru sighed, then smiled. Dammit, there was nothing to do about it. It was good having Lee smiling like that because of something he said. It was good having him around, it was good even when he was annoying because of the totally excessive devotion he put into everything. It was good being so close to him like now. It made him wish he could do that without the need to use his drunken state as excuse.

Yeah, blame it on the alcohol…

He turned his face, still smiling, and without thinking he gave a quick kiss to Lee, almost over his mouth. Then he resumed his precedent position, head pressed against Lee's hair, his left hand under his head, and closed his eyes.

After some moments Lee spoke up.

"…What was that for?"

"Nothing. I felt like doing it". Shikamaru answered, without looking. He was already internally yelling at himself for being so careless, but he wasn't going to just stand up and put some distance now. That would only have made things more awkward, and right now he was feeling too much comfortable, lying there with Lee's arm holding him, to move.

"Oh."

Silence.

Shikamaru sighed. "I can hear the sound of your thinking… what's the matter?"

Lee breathed deeply.

"It's just… no, nothing, as you said." He said finally, before tightening his hold a little more, and making Shikamaru roll, so that he was half-lying with the upper part of his body over Lee's trunk, his head right under Lee's chin.

"It's nice like this, isn't it?"

"Mmh, yeah" mumbled Shikamaru, feeling he was quickly dozing off. It was nice, indeed. And the still on-going alcohol in his system made things just easy. They could… sort things tomorrow. Yeah, they definitely should, Choji was right. Too troublesome keeping breaking his head with this, watching in silence. After all Lee too seemed to enjoy his company… They… should talk…

"I'm going to fall asleep…" he said, looking dazedly at his own fingers playing with Lee's shirt.

"It's ok." Shikamaru could feel the older boy smiling. "You don't weights at all."

FIN

Thanx for reading! review?