Telling Choji

Shikamaru sighed before placing his hands on his lower back and rubbing the muscles there. He was feeling last night's spar with Naruto.

That or the night spent with the blond.

He placed his hands behind his head and laid down in his favorite spot. Grinning up at the clouds, he accepted it was probably the later.

"You've been doing that a lot lately."

Shikamaru turned his head slightly to look at his closet friend. Naruto didn't count really. He was his best friend and lover. His partner. The father of the child growing inside him.

His breath hitched at the sudden tightness in his chest.

He and Naruto were having a baby together.

He and Naruto were together.

He and Naruto were going to be parents.

It was a lot to take in and even though he thought he'd adjusted and accepted the facts, he still found himself breathless.

"Shikamaru." Choji said his name just high enough that it was almost a whine, but wasn't quite there. "It's early." He hefted the lunchbox in his hand before taking a seat next to Shikamaru. "Really early," he muttered.

The corner of Shikamaru's mouth tilted up at the corner before he turned his head back to the sky. There weren't many clouds out. It was too early in the morning for that.

The low sound of Choji's eating and his breathing filled the air. There was a comfortable silence between them. Companionable in a way he'd missed the last few weeks. Between Naruto, training, Naruto, the baby, Naruto, and missions, he didn't have much free time to spend with the larger boy.

The soft clasp of a metal box closing him alerted Shikamaru just moments before Choji asked, "How is Naruto?"

"Well," he paused and then added, "Troublesome."

Choji chuckled lightly. "Of course he is. Wouldn't be the blond we know if he wasn't."

"True."

"And things between you too?"

Heat crept up Shikamaru's cheeks. He vividly remembered the conversation he'd had with Choji almost a year ago where the other brunet confronted him on just whom he was writing. It hadn't taken long for Choji to get him to admit he felt more than friendship for Leaf's most unpredictable ninja. Choji was also the one to demand he do something about his feelings: either tell the blond or chase him. He was also the first and well only person he told when he and Naruto stared…dating. Yes, dating was the best thing to call the beginning of their relationship.

"Shika?"

He sighed and tried to remember what Choji had asked. Oh, right. How are things between Naruto and he? "Well," he paused and then added, "Troublesome."

Choji loud laughter greeted his words. "Repeating yourself now. I think you're getting even lazier than normal."

"I have reason."

"All your energy going to your brain, Shika?"

"Nah, most of it is going to the next Uzumaki."

Choji froze and then stuttered, "Uh, what?"

"I'm pregnant," he clarified.

Choji dropped his lunchbox. "What?"

Shikamaru sighed and sat up. "I'm pregnant, Choji."

The larger boy blinked rapidly and paled. "That's what I thought you said the first time." He released a deep breath and then purposely moved the lunchbox from his lap to the ground. "So, you're pregnant."

"Yes."

"I guess you guys are serious."

"Yeah," he drawled. They were serious. He was living with Naruto, having his kid, and deeply in love with the blond. "This is it, Cho."

Choji grinned and clapped Shikamaru on the back. "I'm happy for you." He picked up another lunchbox and held it out toward Shikamaru. "Hungry?"

He started to shake his head no when baby Uzumaki made its presence known. Shikamaru lurched to his feet and ran across the field to the nearest copse and threw up.

"Morning sickness?" Choji questioned softly.

Hunched over Shikamaru replied, "Yeah, but it's not limited to the morning."

"Ah," Choji sighed with an understanding nod.

With Choji's help, Shikamaru got himself cleaned up and righted. Then the larger boy started a fire, pulled out a small kettle and water and made tea. Shikamaru silently watched Choji. He was used to this. Choji never went anywhere without the equivalent of a full kitchen of tools and accessories sealed in his scrolls.

It was a lesson learned from his father and his father's father.

"You know you have to tell Ino, right?"

RL has dealt me some asskicking lately and it's affected among things, my writing output so that's part of the reason why i haven't updated in forever. Secondly, I uploaded some scenes and didn't actually publish them. I know. Idiot. I can only blame super long hours at work and not enough sleep. Between then and now I've made some changes so they're not ready for consumption. Another reason why I haven't posted anything in forever and a day is I started writing professionally again. This is great for me cause, uh, getting paid to write is awesome, but not good for you because there are only 24 hours in a day. So, those are my, well, not excuses, but reasons for not posting sooner.

Currently, my schedule is a little, hmm, less hectic, so I intend to have a few more scenes from The Breeding Edict available relatively soon and then the next chapter for Warmth is up, (I'm working on it actively, but I need to get back my train of thought. Outlines can only help so much.), and then finally Lord and Satyr should be updated.

Kisses and Cake!

~CRV