Chouji knows he is screwed. He walks around Konoha aimlessly, trying to get himself out of the funk he's in. He tries his best to think of a solution to his problem, but fails to see any way out, a way out that preserves his dignity that is.
He sighs miserably and looks down at his feet as he continues trudging down the street. Hoping a solution presents itself in front of him. And soon.
Stupid client... Stupid land lady...
Today was the 15th. The agreed upon payday. It was a Class B mission, he and several genin had done it 3 days ago. He was supposed to get his share of the pay upon completion of the mission, but the client decided to pay him on the 15th instead, because, according to him, he didn't have enough money for a tip. Chouji, hoping he'd get a decent bonus for a job well done, simply let it slide. He told the client he'd be willing to wait, reassured the man he was not offended and that he wouldn't mind at all. This morning, his land lady had asked for his rent. He did not hesitate to give her all that was left of his savings( 4 days worth of food), the land lady tended to rant and complain if he didn't pay on time, since he was expecting money soon, he thought he'd be safe for at least another 5 days.
But no, fate had other plans for him. As his luck would have it, his client was found guilty of smuggling and espionage. The client was hauled away by 3 men in Anbu masks just before Chouji could get to him and ask for his money. Chouji tried to approach the client, but an Anbu member forbade him and patiently explained the circumstances of his arrest. He would still get his money, the anbu had assured him, but he would be receiving it a week too late.
He needed money now, badly. He was hungry, terribly so, and he was broke. No restaurant would feed him. Almost all of Konoha's food stalls knew him by sight; he was not allowed a tab, because of his healthy appetite. He could look for some of his friends, but he had a feeling none of them would lend him money. For some reason, he felt like they were not much better off. He would not go to his parents, not yet anyway, he decided he'd take care of himself the moment he left the house, and he would not show weakness to his family.
He stops suddenly, his feet reaching a dead end. He turns his head up to find himself standing in front of a door.
This is Shikamaru's apartment…
He smiles and berates himself. Of course, he was never in that much of a slump, he had his best friend, and he would never abandon him.
He checks his watch and sighs, it was 8 o'clock. 3 hours too early in Shikamaru time. He'd have to let himself in, Shikamaru often wakes up around 11 or 12 if he doesn't have a mission or appointment, and Chouji knows where the spare key is hidden.
3rd pot to the right… yep… there we go…
Chouji inserts the key, twists the door knob open and silently enters the apartment, careful not to make too much noise.
He stiffens in surprise the moment he enters the living room. Sounds of activity coming from the kitchen and the smell of breakfast assault his senses.
Shikamaru's awake? And making breakfast?
He gets over his surprise and walks slowly towards the kitchen, head now in the clouds. Nose working on overdrive.
Bacon. Eggs. And… maple syrup? Cinnamon? pan cakes? Oh Joy…
He reaches the kitchen and is instantly released from his trance. The person in front of the stove was NOT Shikamaru. She was holding the frying pan and trying to flip one of the pan cakes, humming while doing so. She wore her dusky blonde hair up in a ponytail, neck glistening with sweat. She's wearing a fishnet shirt with a black bikini bra underneath, showcasing perfectly tanned skin, and curves that would make Ino blush with envy, she has on too short checkered shorts, displaying an indecent amount of leg.
Wait… aren't those boxers?
He blushes, heat reaching to the tips of his ears. Despite his embarrassment, he could not look away. He couldn't help but admire the beautiful creature standing in front of him, oblivious of his presence.
A roar suddenly disturbs the tranquil scene. Temari whirls around and yelps in surprise. She fumbles with her frying pan and cusses under her breath. She looks at him, mild annoyance and puzzlement on her face.
Chouji feels his face heat up as another blush threatens to consume him. He looks down, awkward, and shyly pats his stomach.
"Sorry bout that, the food smelled so appetizing, my stomach couldn't help itself." He smiles at her nervously.
"You're Chouji right?" she asks after a pause, tilting her head a bit, she gives him a smile. "Want some breakfast?"
"I'd love to!" he exclaims, his discomfort obliterated by her invitation.
He sits in his usual spot as Temari passes him a plate, he helps himself to some eggs, a few strips of bacon, and 3 pancakes. Enough for a light breakfast.
He smiles at her and digs in. She smiles back and goes back to her cooking.
"So… Chouji? What brings you here?" she asks, giving him a glance.
I should be asking that question…
"I was out of money, I dropped by hoping Shikamaru had some extra on him. I know where he keeps his spare key so I just let myself in." He doesn't inquire about her; she is feeding him after all, and he would come off sounding ungrateful.
"I see" she replies, attention on the pan. "Shikamaru's still sleeping. Tried to wake him up a while ago, but couldn't get any response. Lazy ass probably won't leave his bedroom until noon. Could you wake him up please? Bring him here so he can eat." She phrases it like a request, but it comes off as a command.
Chouji gladly complies, years spent with Ino has conditioned him to obey without question.
He walks into Shikamaru's bedroom and gives him a nudge. After several attempts, he finally gets to wake him up.
Shikamaru grumbles, a string of incoherent words pouring out of his mouth, he slowly pulls himself to a sitting position, irritation evident on his face, drool present at the corners of his mouth. He looks at Chouji menacingly. "This better be good." He growls.
"Temari's in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She wants you up." He replies patiently, used to his best friends early morning mood.
"What?" Shikamaru asks, irritation now mixed with confusion. "Did you say Temari? What's she doing here?"
Chouji raises an eyebrow at his best friend. "This is your apartment, I thought you'd know."
Shikamaru stands up slowly, muttering all the while. He ties up his hair and looks for a clean shirt and a pair of pants. Shikamaru sleeps in his boxers.
"Go on ahead, Chouji, tell her I'll be there in a minute," Shikamaru waves at him, pulling a black shirt on.
"M'kay," he replies and sets off towards the kitchen, eager to return to his meal.
He sees Temari standing at the counter, making coffee. He gives her a friendly smile.
"He's coming."
He takes a seat and turns back to his meal. Temari is kind enough to pass him a cup of coffee and he thanks her. They share a peaceful moment together, eating breakfast and drinking coffee.
The atmosphere is broken when they hear a scuffling sound, the sound of feet dragging on the floor, accompanied by an exaggerated yawn.
"Woman, why are you here?" he drawls, voice thick with sleep.
Shikamaru walks towards them, takes a seat, looks around the kitchen, and stares dumbly at Temari. An aura of indifference wrapped around his person. To anyone but Chouji, it would seem like Shikamaru was half-awake, mind barely present. But Chouji knows otherwise, Shikamaru's eyes are bright, curiosity and amusement burning in its depths.
Temari makes a face at his best friend and shrugs. "Kankurou and I finished a mission early, Konoha was en route, since we didn't have any missions waiting for us at home, we decided to take a few days off here, to reward ourselves."
"Which explains why you're here, in my apartment, cooking breakfast," Shikamaru raises an amused eyebrow at her "and wearing my underwear."
Temari scoffs at Shikamaru, and sips at her coffee, unperturbed. "I don't want to waste money on an inn and I didn't pack any extra clothing. My kimono's a mess, so I washed it and let it hang in your bathroom. I snooped around and found these," she gestures at her, or rather, his, shorts, "I find your boxers quite comfortable. Anyway, I cooked you breakfast to thank you for your hospitality, be grateful now and shut up."
Shikamaru smiles at her and grabs a plate, piling food on it without breaking eye contact. They both held each other's gazes, waiting for the other to break off, as if it were some sort of contest.
Chouji couldn't take it anymore. He felt like he disappeared the moment Shikamaru entered the room. He suddenly felt like an intruder, the proverbial third wheel. His goal now forgotten, replaced by a desire to leave the room without anyone noticing. He tries to speak, to interrupt, and a sound between a cough and a squeak comes out.
Shikamaru blinks and turns to look at him, puzzled, "Chouji, sorry bout that buddy, what brings you here this early?"
Chouji sighs in relief, glad his friend asked. "I needed your help, Shikamaru, I ran out of money, and I was wondering if you had any extra left with you. I promise I'll pay you back next week." He looks at his best bud pleadingly.
Shikamaru grimaces and looks at him apologetically. "I'm sorry buddy, but I'm running on empty too. Had to pay the bills last week, I've been crashing at my parents place for meals these last few days. I have no idea where all this food came from; my fridge is almost always empty." Shikamaru shoots a questioning glance at Temari.
Chouji looks down; disappointed but not surprised, missions were kind of rare these days.
"I brought groceries; I didn't want to burden you." Temari chips in a reply. "How much do you need anyway, Chouji?"
Chouji glances at her shyly and whispers the amount. Embarrassed at how much money he spends a week just on food.
"Oh, okay, here you go then." Temari walks over to him and hands him a roll of bills.
Chouji gapes at her in surprise, unsure as to how he should respond. He looks at Shikamaru for help.
Shikamaru just shrugs at him nonchalantly, "The girl's a princess."
"Don't call me that." Temari scowls.
"Are you sure?" Chouji asks, "I mean, Is it really okay? I don't want to cause you trouble Temari."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. Just give the money back to Shikamaru next week." She reassures him.
"Oh… okay then… thank you, for breakfast and for your help, Temari, I really appreciate it." Chouji bows to her in gratitude, truly grateful. He stands up and gives the two of them a nervous glance. Still uncomfortable "Um… Anyway, maybe I should go, I don't want to intrude on you guys…" he says, his words barely audible.
"Its fine Chouji, you weren't intruding on anything." Shikamaru looks at him oddly, wondering at his friend's shy demeanor.
"Yep, you can stay and hang out if you like." Temari adds in.
"Uhh… No, don't mind me, I know you guys haven't seen each other for weeks, and you guys probably can't wait to be alone together. I don't want to take up your time, when you'd rather much spend it… doing something else." Chouji replies awkwardly, a pink hue now visible on his cheeks.
Both Shikamaru and Temari stare at him. Faces blank, devoid of any emotion. A weird silence descends upon them and Chouji squirms in his spot. Wishing he could just run off to somewhere, anywhere.
Shikamaru blinks several times and clears his throat, breaking the silence.
"It's not like that at all Chouji, Temari and I, we're just friends." He states, voice smooth and calming, as if he were talking to one of his academy students when correcting mistakes.
"Damn straight, ugh, I think I just puked in my mouth." Temari gags, a sour expression on her face, as if she really did throw up in her mouth.
"Must be the food, you know you can't cook to save your life. " Shikamaru mutters darkly, loud enough for all to hear.
Temari stiffens in response and pokes Shikamaru's chest. "I'll have you know I've been practicing! Gaara and Kankurou have been helping me a lot. They've been really supportive, not like some chauvinistic pig I know!" she yells, her voice deeply aggravated.
"I'm surprised you're not in prison, woman. Poisoning your own kage is considered treason you know." Shikamaru shot back.
"Um, guys, I really should be going. I think I hear Ino calling me…" Three blocks away…Chouji butts in anxiously, before Temari retaliates, hoping someone would give him leave.
"Sure, go ahead buddy, say hi to Ino for me." Shikamaru replies absently, his face contorted in exasperation, attention wholly on Temari.
Chouji tries to get Temari's attention to no avail, her cheeks are slightly red and she looks as if she's ready to pounce. It looked like they've had this argument before, and Chouji did NOT want to keep score.
Chouji decides to leave the apartment immediately, before the argument escalates, he says another Thank you at Temari's direction before leaving. He reaches the street and sighs in relief, his problem now solved; he looks back at the apartment in sympathy and bewilderment. He wasn't really an expert in relationships, but he could call himself an expert in all things Shikamaru. Though the thing between his best bud and Temari remains a mystery to him, he knows all too well that his best friend's troubles are just beginning.
AN - this one came out okay. only revised this once, so not sure if i got rid of all the typos and whatnot. Anyway, after I wrote this, i figured i'd do a series of one shots where shikamaru or temari or both flirt or whatever while a friend/family member is present, and the observer becomes aware of something going on, but the two vehemently deny... or something like that... yeah... reviews are joy