Author's Note: Ok, I don't know what came over me when I wrote this one hahaha.
But oh well. Just enjoy the lovely Shikamaru love that I now present to you!
Thank you again to Repentless Wind, as well as Icupcake97 for the amazing reviews! :D

Chapter Eleven: Nervousness and Bad News

I didn't want to wake up the next morning. I wanted to lay in bed forever and keep dreaming. The fact that it was Shikamaru in my dream did not bother me one bit, for the dream itself had been too amazing for that to matter. I moaned in disappointment as I rolled over and hugged my pillow, pressing my eyes tightly closed in a futile attempt to force myself back to sleep.

I quickly realized, however, that, as much as I wanted to drift back into the soft dream cloud that I pleasantly slept in all night, it wasn't going to happen. My vision was blurred with sleep, so I gently rubbed my eyes as I stretched my legs before sitting up.

I was surprised to find myself in an unfamiliar room. My first reaction was to jump out of the strange bed and figure out where the hell I was. When I thought about it, though, I realized that what I believed had been a dream was actually reality.

As I sat back down on the bed, trying to recover from the initial shock, I remembered what had happened. After we returned from the forest, the night air was so icy cold against our wet skin that Shikamaru had insisted on my staying at his house for the night. I lived another few blocks away, so I obliged, craving the feeling of warmth that a home provided.

I looked down at my body. I was wearing a large black t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. Shikamaru had given me some of his clothes to sleep in while my clothes dried off. Without thinking, I leaned my head down to sniff his shirt, detecting a slight hint of his scent. My eyes fluttering close, I fell back into the soft bedding and curled up in the blankets in a state of bliss.

A squeaking noise came from behind a closed door, and, instinctively, I lifted my head to examine it. For a moment, it was silent, but within a few seconds I heard the muffled sound of footsteps. The handle twisted, allowing the door to swing open to reveal a…

I gulped.

…shirtless Shikamaru.

He dried his dripping hair with a towel as he entered the room. Beads of water trickled from his shoulders down to his well-defined abdominal muscles, and his muscular, but lean arms flexed as he pulled the towel down to sling it over his shoulders. Luckily, I managed to wrench my eyes away from admiring his body before Shikamaru had noticed that I was awake.

"So you're finally awake," he smirked, sitting at the foot of the bed.

I coyly lifted my eyes to his and nodded.

Sensing my nerves, Shikamaru looked down at his bare chest and then back at me. "Would you be more comfortable if I… put a shirt on?" He suggested.

"Yeah, probably," I said, forcing a small, awkward laugh.

I watched him rise from the bed and turn his back to me as he headed for his dresser. The muscles in his back were perfectly toned, and I quickly found myself staring once again. I mentally kicked myself when the gray fabric of his shirt concealed his body from my eyes. Why did I say yes? I'm an idiot!

He took his seat back on the bed, but this time he chose a spot closer to me. "Better?" He asked softly as his lips slanted to form his trademark smirk.

"Y-yeah," I choked, my heart beginning to race at the thought of being so close to Shikamaru.

His smirk widened as he noticed my cheeks turning red. "Yuri, do I make you nervous?"

Not wanting to appear weak, I narrowed my eyes at him. "No way!" I barked as I turned myself around to avoid his teasing grin. He did make me nervous, but I didn't want to let him know that.

"Oh really?" I heard him challenge as he snaked his arms around my middle, causing my eyes to widen in surprise. Shikamaru pressed his chest against my back as he dipped his head to place soft kisses from my jaw line to the base of my neck. I couldn't help but inhale sharply when I felt his teeth graze against my skin in a pleasurable way.

My fingers gripped the bed sheets as his lips continued to send small pulses of nervous excitement throughout my entire body. I unintentionally leaned my head to the left in order to allow him better access. My eyelids fluttered close as I struggled to slow my breathing.

He pulled his lips away from my neck to gently brush them against my earlobe. "Relax," he whispered before gently biting and returning to my neck. His fingertips traced across my stomach, stopped for a moment to grasp my hips, then proceeded to rub my thighs. He was going so tantalizingly slow, but it felt so incredibly good.

When I felt his lips detach from my skin and his arms release their hold on me, I immediately let out a disappointed groan. Realizing what I had just done, however, my eyes shot open and my cheeks wasted no time in burning a dark shade of crimson. I turned around to a pleased Shikamaru.

"W-what are you doing?" I demanded, a terrified expression on my face.

Shikamaru smirked. "Don't act like you didn't love it."

I laughed in a sarcastic manner before assuring him that I did not enjoy it. He didn't seem to believe me. "You just… oh, shut up, Shikamaru!"

Rolling his eyes, Shikamaru slid off the bed and proceeded to the bathroom. "Troublesome woman," I heard him mutter under his breath.

When my breathing had calmed, I replayed the morning happenings in my mind. It felt so good… Why do I have to be such an idiot? Ugh!

I shook the thoughts out of my head and rolled out of bed. I spotted my clothes folded neatly on top of Shikamaru's dresser, so I walked over and quickly replaced his baggy clothes with my own before he returned from the bathroom. He arrived just as I was pulling my jacket over my shoulders; his hair was now pulled back in the usual ponytail.

"What time is it?" I casually asked, preventing an awkward silence from taking over.

"9:55 AM," he replied as he rummaged through his dresser drawers for his vest.

My eyes bulged. "I have to go!" I shouted as I raced toward the front door. I was supposed to meet Hiroshi Sensei and the team at ten o' clock for another day of training. Fumbling to slide my feet into my shoes, I nearly tripped and knocked over a floor lamp in my haste.

"Where are you going?" asked a confused Shikamaru.

"I have to train!" I answered, bolting out the door and sprinting down the road. I felt bad for leaving Shikamaru so quickly. As much as I hated to admit it, I really liked Shikamaru, and I would have much rather stayed with him. But I had duties to my team, and I couldn't let them down. Not to mention I had told Hiroshi Sensei just the other day that I was going to work harder than ever. It would have been disgraceful if I broke my promise so quickly.

Somehow, I managed to travel across the entire village in less than five minutes, arriving at the training field in the knick of time. Miyuki, Katsu, and I stretched together while we awaited Hiroshi Sensei's instructions.

"Alright, team, listen up," he called, standing atop one of the wooden training logs.

We gathered around him and waited for him to continue.

"We're going to make today quick, because later, we have a meeting with Lady Tsunade, the Hokage."

"What for?" Katsu demanded, frustrated to hear that his training would be cut short today.

"She has serious news, and all shinobi are required to attend."

"What kind of serious news?" Miyuki asked, her eyes showing a hint of worry.

Hiroshi looked seriously at the three of us. "We believe that there are plans… to destroy Konoha."