Disclaimer: I Do Not Naruto. I just own the idea of this story and any characters settings or songs I've made up all on my own.
Shikamaru stood outside the Hokage's office, waiting patiently for her to call him in.
He had received a message early this morning informing him that she needed to speak with him.
"She'll see you now."
"Mmm…" He managed to give her secretary and small smile, a tilt of his lips really, as he made his way into her office, hands folded behind his head.
"Nara, how are things with Sakura?" She asked him as she drank her early cocktail drink she sometimes drank.
"She's no longer sleeping as much, she's gained a bit of weight, and hasn't had any contact with alcohol or medications." He replied emotionless.
She gave him a quick glance and then looked at her paper work, her eyes lingering on Sakura's contract with the label.
"She's going to have to start work again a bit sooner than we wanted. She'll start in a week in a half."
And with that he was dismissed.
Slowly opening her eyes Sakura scanned the small multi-colored apartment that belonged to her babysitter Shikamaru.
Ever so quietly she began tip toeing her way to his room. It was the middle of the night at she couldn't sleep. Meaning she could either lay in bed and wait till sleep came to her or bug her babysitter.
"Shika" She whispered and knocked once on his bright red door.
"Shika," She whispered again and knocked once on his door…again.
"Shika…Nara?" She began softly tapping on his bright red door.
Finally she heard a bit of grumbling and then the door was open, revealing a sleepy Nara in his white t-shirt and stripped pajama pants.
She slowly raised her hand and pointed to the multi-colored bottoms he had on.
"It was a gift. Now—what do you want?" He asked in a lazy sleepy voice.
"I can't sleep." She stated rather loudly.
In return Shikamaru only raised his eyes brows, and rubbed his neck.
"Mmm… and I can help out how?" He asked already regretting the question.
"Well I thought maybe I could sleep with you?" Her question didn't surprise him the least, in fact he had been anticipating it.
"Yeah, just don't do anything weird—" he motioned for her to follow him into his room.
Silently following him Sakura closed his bright red door, and ran towards his big comfortable bed.
"I've been meaning to ask you, why do you have such a big bed?" She asked as she pulled back his bright green comforter and began making herself comfortable.
He waited for her to settle in before he too climbed into bed with her.
"I didn't pick it." He stated as he faced away from her his back towards her.
"You say that about everything in this house, who picked it? I mean—stuff either doesn't match or its different shades of a color—"
"Ino picked out everything—before we broke up." He whispered to her.
Immediately Sakura felt horrible…
"I'm sorry." She said she as she lightly poked his back with her index finger.
She heard him sigh, as he shifted a little to make himself more comfortable.
"Yeah, well it doesn't matter," He responded.
She silently watched his back and slowly closed her eyes.
It was no secret that Ino had left Shikamaru once she had secured Sasuke, it was never occurred to Sakura that Shikamaru would keep anything that reminded him of her former best friend.
"Well…if it makes you feel any better, I'm starting to think she's color blind." Sakura whispered to his back.
"Maybe she was," Was the only response she got out of him.
And after five minutes she started to feel tired and welcomed the sleep that took her in.
Shikamaru listened to her even breathing as he laid there…now unable to sleep.
He knew Sakura was having trouble sleeping as of late, it was only a matter of time before she would seek him out. What he hadn't counted on was how much having a woman in his bed again after so many years would sadden him.
She didn't know it but Ino had died only a year ago, leaving behind two children. She would eventually find out that her friend had died, and he wondered how she would take it.
He looked around his bed room and wondered why Ino had always liked to miss match everything. When they had moved in together Ino had declared that she would decorate the house her way and that he would have nothing to do with it. And since he could care less and loved her so much he allowed her to do whatever she needed.
And at the time he hated the miss matched apartment, the bright colors and odd assortment of 'stuff' only annoyed him. Years later he found that everything that reminded him of her actually comforted him, he would pretend on some days that she never really left him.
He'd pretend that she'd come back.
It was pathetic really, that he would think like that some times.
Sakura couldn't seem to understand it.
But lately her brain had slowly started to fill in her blackouts.
"Damn it. What the…" Sakura opened her eyes to look questionably at who she thought was Mina her petite assistant, but instead found Kakashi.
"Well if it isn't my old teacher. You shouldn't sneak into my during the day! You're suppose to sneak in after dark…that way you get the whole show and then some." She giggled as she mixed her soda with some rum.
"You look different Sakura," Kakashi's serious voice hinted to her that he was in fact unhappy with her.
Well duh.
"Yeah well…people change. How did you get in here? Well duh…mmm—say where the rest of the group…you know the fag and um… my ex-fiancé." She struggled not to slur her words as she spoke to him.
Sakura frowned and rolled onto her back, her eyes shut tightly hoping for her memory to fade quickly.
Signing she rolled once again on to her side, and tried once again to make her thoughts and memory to disappear.
"What is it?" She heard Shikamaru mumble next to her, his face hidden beneath the blankets.
"I can't sleep, I was sleeping fine…but now—I can t sleep." She stated and rolled over to face his—forehead. He seemed to like to sleep cover from forehead to toe.
"That's obvious. So what exactly is causing this "can't sleep" state?" He once again mumbled from beneath the blanket.
"…I keep having these flashes…of things that I think; I mean I know I did." She whispered to him as she slowly inched towards him.
"Sounds normal."
"Why is this normal?" She asked him, her eyes beginning to water.
"One blacks out after so many drinks, they forget a lot of things. You have been blacking out for some time now. After a while I guess you would start to remember them. It's part of the "healing" process I guess…" He grumbled as he slid the covers down a bit, so they now laid together staring each other in the eyes.
"I don't like this, this feeling of stupid, I feel dumb, and a whole lot of guilty." She whispered and tried to control her tears.
He could hear her tears coming, her voice becoming smaller and smaller. Every so gently he reached over and pulled her to him. Hoping that physical contact would make her feel better, after all everyone needs a hug now and then…
"Thanks Shika, I feel a bit better."
I really want to move this story along a lot lot faster. Cha...But I'm okay with the pace right now.
Enjoy-let me know what you think.
XOXOXOXO-Lulu
