Two chapters in quick succession?! I don't know what's come over me...
Hope you enjoy, and hope to hear from you guys.

Drama Incorporated.

Chapter 14 – A World Away

An insistent buzz in his pocket ended up heralding an end to Shikamaru's torrid morning.

After a week of burying himself in work to distract from his Ino troubles, last night's events meant that the refuge of drudgery was no longer cutting it, and he had spent fully half the workday as an unproductive, daydreaming mess, thinking up pipedream after pipedream of how he could attempt to help the grief-stricken woman – none of which he'd have the balls to put into action. He wouldn't feel this desperate to fix things if he wasn't certain that he had done irreparable damage with his outburst last night. He was saved a need to continue this flagellation with the tell-tale hum of his phone, which he was almost too lost in thought to notice.

++ Thank you for last night. Don't be a moron and worry about any of it. No harm done. ++

Thank fuck for that… thought Shikamaru, coming close to breathing the relieved muttering out loud. He wasn't truly reassured by the details of Ino's text. Too much subtlety and nuance was lost in the watered-down form of communication of texting. He could read into each clause of the message in a thousand ways and not come close to the precise intended meaning and impact of the sender. Much better to just take the minor victory that his actions hadn't burned all bonds and friendship between them. Better to take small solace in the fact that she had the wherewithal to reach out to him at all. Hope she's doing okay…

The thoughtful man didn't want to stifle or smother, but it would be much worse to allow distance to build between them again, as it had done so painfully following their one night together. Worse still to leave her hanging with a no reply, wondering if her message had wounded or insulted, and perhaps even reading that lack of response as indifference – which couldn't be further from the truth.

God knows she's got enough to worry about.

++ Glad to hear from you. Let me know if you need anything from me. ++

It took Shikamaru close to twenty minutes to compose this verbose and eloquent reply; agonising over this word and that, still unsure of a dozen things when he plucked up his nerve and hit send.

The lazy man hadn't touched a scrap of work all morning, but at least his inaction spoke of some serious distraction rather than his usual sloth. Deciding to write the AM off as a bad job and take an early lunch, Shikamaru's appetite surged as he remembered the grilled chicken and homemade pesto pasta salad waiting for him in the office kitchen. He made for the break nook with a spring in his step, managing to shed a little of the weight of worry from laden shoulders as he went.

Shikamaru was no stranger to culinary mediocrity in his day-to-day life. Lunchtimes would often see him snacking on underwhelming toast or a cup-a-soup if he was lucky. His sudden elevation into the world of fully prepared working lunches was born of his past night of sleeplessness.

He had returned near frozen from his eventful sojourn into the chill with Ino, physical tiredness from the long day twinning with emotional exertion from his complex encounter, leaving him acutely vulnerable to the cold, not to mention his completely inadequate outerwear, which Ino had rightly mocked.

He must've looked quite a state when he stumbled into the warming environs of the apartment, such that Shino turned nursemaid almost immediately, fixing a characteristically strong pot of coffee. It was the subject of long-standing jokes between the pair that the bespectacled man's brewing expertise involved more than a little methamphetamine… Thoughts swirling slowly from the cold almost suffered whiplash as they were set racing by this invigorating beverage, thought it must be said, the primary aim of staving off Shikamaru's hypothermia was also achieved. It took him a good while of huddling under a blanket, clinging to his second mug for dear life before Shikamaru realised he was meant to be berating the duplicitous little shit.

'Did I tell you I'm suing work for sexual harassment?' he had asked suddenly, eyes narrowing at his roommate, who had been sat across from Shikamaru's couch in a comfy armchair. The lazy man had cocked an eyebrow as he continued, not waiting for a reply. 'My boss keeps coming out of the shower naked and flashing me right in the middle of my morning cornflakes…'

'I imagine that's very off-putting,' Shino had remarked, nonchalantly taking a sip of steaming jetfuel and refusing to rise to the bait.

How am I supposed to be mad at the smug prick? Shikamaru had wondered, internally deeply, inappropriately amused by the whole situation. Like I wouldn't have tried to pull the same game if roles were reversed… We're as bad as each other.

'I just hope my mental scarring in the line of duty will be taken into account come bonus time…' he had said meaningfully, instead of labouring the point further.

'Your sacrifices for the company have not gone unnoticed,' Shino had confirmed reassuringly. After a brief pause of contemplation he clearly made the decision to dispense with the charade, as amusing as it had been for the two friends. 'I am sorry that I didn't tell you after all this time, Shikamaru. I know we both had fun at the jokes about me being a black-marketeer or whatever, but the truth is after a while it just got to be too awkward to tell you.'

Shikamaru had nodded understandingly at this. They had both known no true apology was required, but it was enough to draw a line under the episode.

With his roommate disappeared into the diverse ecosystem of his crawling bedroom not long afterwards, Shikamaru had been left to his own devices, absolutely wired from his excursion with Ino and the over-stimulating coffee. Giving up on the hope of sleep, he had watched films, read a long abandoned novel, and managed a few passable attempts at cooking, one of which he tucked into with gusto, sat at the break table of the 36th floor's office kitchen in peace and quiet.

Not a bad cook when I put my mind to it… he mused as he ate, enjoying the satisfaction of doing a good job as much as the actual taste. He looked up, finding himself not alone, but was surprised at the restraint of the newcomer, who usual showed no such decorum.

'Afternoon, Shikamaru,' came the honeyed tones of Director Tsunade, who came to join him at the small table after her greeting.

She sat side-on, with her back to the wall and her legs crossed languorously out into the suddenly cramped room. It was amazing how a personality could fill a space so utterly. Tsunade was practically claustrophobia-inducing. She was dressed in one of her ubiquitous suit-jacket and skirt combos, shirt buttoned indecorously low to display the unmarred perfection of her cleavage. The ensemble was simple and grey, but set off by the pale pink of kitten heels. She allowed the footwear to come half loose on her cocked leg, bobbing it in no particular rhythm as she revealed her purpose in disturbing Shikamaru's lunch. 'Yamanaka has taken compassionate leave until after the weekend. Her father has died, sadly.'

Shikamaru fancied he spied a shade of honest regret flashing over the woman's somehow softened features at the admission – but no – he'd been mistaken, it was nothing but the distracted weariness of the calmer side to his perpetually busy boss.

'I'd heard,' was all he could muster, unsure of where he stood with Tsunade in the wake of their recent confrontations. In his understandably fuddled state of the night before, he'd failed to ask Shino anything about how he'd managed to deal with this particular situation.

She turned to face him at that, with feline laziness, gauging.

'Yes. Yes you would have wouldn't you,' he was left no time to wonder at what suspicions the perplexing lady was harbouring, as she went on… 'You and your rabble of friends are close with her aren't you?'

'Hmm,' Shikamaru assented with a wordless nod, still caught off-kilter by the exchange.

'I know there is a tendency at this place to assume our only purpose is churning out profits for the 'glorious leader',' she winked sarcastically, 'but we shouldn't forget that it's flesh-and-blood people who keep the gears turning around here.' She paused pensively for a moment, before fixing him with a shining but sincere smile and stare. 'You lot look out for her, won't you? Losses are always hard.'

Blimey. She's got a heart. Who saw that coming… He was struck into silent stillness by the request, but roused himself to a small tilt of the head and an even smaller smile before the awkwardness became noticeable.

'Don't look so bloody surprised, Nara,' she admonished, with a trace of her usual wickedness returning to the fore. 'Honestly, you reacted with more sense when I had my tits out… Anyway, there's a card to sign.'

As manicured fingers brushed his own to place an elegant, tasteful card into his hands, Shikamaru was blessedly too distracted with the rapid change of subject to fully compute the implications of her last statement. He wrote a brief inscription, concentrating on the task to retain his sanity. 'You're in my thoughts. Shikamaru' The paper was of luxurious quality, and filled the room with a faint bookstore smell which wasn't at all unpleasant.

'Thank you,' Tsunade murmured, rising onto shapely legs to retrieve the card and make for the break-room door. She turned in the portal almost as an afterthought.

'Oh, and about the other day? No hard feelings, Shikamaru…' she purred, with an almost hilariously pointed and laden stare at his crotch. Somehow, gone was the predatory sleaze of times passed, replaced or perhaps merely overshadowed by an honest attempt at raunchy humour.

Maybe things can get back to the way they were… Shikamaru mused internally, thankful for olive branch being offered, regardless of its deviously tactless delivery.

'None,' he assured with a small, sincere smile. She dazzled him with a final grin in return, as she whisked herself away.

The early evening of the next day found Shikamaru in a beleaguered state, overworked by the demands of a monthly deadline which he had procrastinated for far too long. Submitting barely-proofed but mercifully complete documents signalled the mercy of the end of the workday, hours after most sensible employees had long since packed up and gone home. Leaving his abandoned floor in darkness and taking one of the space-age glass elevators streetwards, he attempted to rub the grittiness of overuse from his abused eyes. He leant his forehead against the cool window surface, watching the descent of his pod and enduring a flight of imagination at the picture of him trapped in a glob of morning dew, slip-sliding down the stem of some vast flower. Receiving a text message, this time from Sakura, he was spared any further descent into such strange fantasies.

'She's picked the wrong time to gloat about having had the day off,' Shikamaru muttered suspiciously, thumbing a few buttons on his out-of-date mobile phone to bring up his pink-haired friend's message.

++ Been cooking gumbo all day. Need a taste-tester / lab-rat. Fancy dinner at mine? ++

A grin of relief split Shikamaru's lips at the thought. Cooking had not been a viable option for the evening given his woeful state of energy.

++ I could kiss you. Omw. ++

The faint, savoury smell of stew was enough to set Shikamaru's stomach rumbling even from the hallway. Sakura was a hell of a cook on the few occasions she decided to do something adventurous in the kitchen. If past experience was any indication he was in for a treat. He couldn't think of anything better for a tiring, frigid winter's day than the home-cooked delight of warming, spicy, flavourful stew.

He heard padding feet soon after his knock at the door, and then he was met by the sight of one of his oldest friends silhouetted in the light of her perpetually tropically heated apartment. Being confronted by the warmth, the familiar grin and the heavenly smell of cooking was all a bit much for the emotionally wrung-out Shikamaru, who was embarrassed to find his eyes watering a little at the sweetness of the scene. If Sakura saw this reaction she gave no sign, sparing him putting on a maudlin show by dragging him in ungently by the arm.

'Come in, you prick. Letting all the heat out…' She whizzed back to the pokey galley kitchen which led off her living room, leaving Shikamaru to warm up and make himself at home. 'Rice is on. We're nearly in business. Beer?'

'Please.'

'I'll bring one through now.' She was a happy buzz of energy. Just the tonic after a tough day. Someone would be a lucky husband to her one day. She pressed a perspiring bottle into his hand not a moment later, hands waving instruction; 'Shoes off, sit, sit…'

Shikamaru could hardly argue with such insistent enthusiasm and did as he was bid, enjoying the tingle which spread through weary muscles as he lounged backwards, taking large gulps of the refreshing liquid.

Sakura looked infuriatingly good. Once, a lazy Sunday Shikamaru had remained unshowered and wearing comfortable, old clothes all day and had been reliably informed by Kiba that he'd looked like a 'hammer-smashed sack of shit'. Ms. Haruno must've been the complete counterpoint to that withering assessment. Her pale-pink bob was a little mussed from the pillow, and she had on a baggy, old, completely illegible black metal t-shirt, and even baggier, subtly-patterned hippy-pants. It would never have looked bad, but it certainly shouldn't have looked good either, yet on Sakura's athletic curves, with vibrant keenness writ large on attractive features, frankly, she looked hot. There would never be any sexual thoughts between the pair, but Shikamaru couldn't help but admire the style of her casual comfort in her own skin.

'Cheers!' she exclaimed, clinking their bottles. She was roused by the kitchen timer, and disappeared into the smaller room once more, where the clack of bowls soon emanated, along with her excited voice. 'I hope it's good. Been wanting to try the recipe for ages – finally got the chance. I'll dish out.'

'It smells amazing, Sakura,' he reassured honestly. Left on his own again, he finally paid attention to the low sound of music from his host's iPod speakers in the corner. Hard to make out, what with all the bustle going on behind him. Massive Attack? No, Archive? Something trip-hoppy whatever it was. Extreme metal on her clothes, laid back electronica and rap on the speakers.

Never predictable… he thought, smiling as his friend re-emerged, arms laden with a bowl each of the steaming, delightful stew, served over white rice and garnished with shredded scallion. Quiet pride warred with mild apprehension in her sea-green eyes, but she needn't have hedged her emotions for a second as Shikamaru groaned in rapture at his first taste of one of his favourite dishes.

Subtle savoury bitterness and warmth from a dark roux cooked out to perfection was the base, with garlic pungency and the back-notes of black pepper, thyme and bayleaf combining over the top. Smokey sausage, fatty chicken thighs, and the salty tang of shrimp were rounded out by the slow build of jalapeño spice. It was, in a word, divine.

'Gordon Ramsay's a chump,' he sighed in pleasure. 'When do you take over his show?'

She swatted him on the arm for the joke, but smiled in contentment as they both continued their meals in earnest. It was filling fare and by the time both bowls were being scraped clean a comfortable lull was descending; tranquil and satisfied. Shikamaru placed his bowl on the low coffee table before him, then propped his feet up as he reclined. He didn't ask permission, knowing the fire-cracker tempered hostess would bite his head off for even feeling the need to ask. She mirrored his pose with an unladylike burp a few moments later.

'Worth the wait.'

'Hmmm,' Shikamaru agreed, letting his eyes flutter closed. He was settling deep into the sofa, already preparing for a snooze, when persistent prodding at his side roused him to look askance at his companion.

'Don't doze off just yet,' she murmured, shaking herself a little as well. 'Need to talk to you about something.'

'Oh, yeah?'

'Ino came round briefly earlier,' started Sakura, waiting to see if that would draw a response. Finding Shikamaru quizzical but calm, she relaxed and continued, no longer worried that this might be a disastrous topic to bring up. 'We had a cuppa and a chat, and she ended up asking for a favour. I'm meant to sound you out as well. She wasn't sure if she could do it herself.'

'How was she?' Shikamaru surprised himself at not jumping for enlightenment about what favour might have been requested, since normally he was so hungry for new information. He had clearly thrown Sakura off a little as well, but she seemed understanding at why this would be his first priority.

'Quiet, tired… not herself, you know?' Squeezing his arm at the concern all over his face, she gathered the dishes, and spoke over her shoulder, returning with another pair of beers. 'For all that, she was quite in control. Was okay to talk about what her dad was like. Explain some of the late-stage treatment.'

'Not hiding from it, you mean?' he wondered, glad that there were other people looking out for the woman he had come to love deeply. People more emotionally literate than me… he thought, self-deprecatingly.

'Exactly,' affirmed Sakura. 'I think she's had a long time to come to terms with this happening, to be honest…'

Shikamaru accepted a bottle-opener from her and got them started on their fresh drinks.

'And what was the favour?'

'Sounds like most of the family is up in Yorkshire. Her dad's house too. It's where they're holding the funeral.'

'Uh-huh.'

'She doesn't want to go alone.'

'Ah,' worry creased Shikamaru's face at that, but with a tinge of understanding acceptance. No wonder she got Sakura to deliver this news. I wouldn't want to explain that I didn't want my new lover around either… 'Well, I get it, I suppose... You'll look after her won't you?'

'Christ almighty, you're an idiot!' exclaimed Sakura with dumbstruck wonder. 'I've never met anyone so ready to believe they're worthless. She wants you to come along, dumbass.'

'Oh…'

'Yeah, oh…' she smirked, still shaking her head in disbelief. 'Are you in?'

'Of course,' he said immediately, surprised at the ardency of his answer. After all his recent worries of being around the blonde woman it suddenly seemed the easiest thing in the world to accept travelling dozens of miles from home to be with her.

'Good.' Sakura murmured. 'Good. Well. I thought we'd take your car if that's okay? There'll be four of us plus luggage – we'll need the space.'

'Choji too?' guessed Shikamaru.

'There's the analytical, logical genius we all know! Where's he been the past fortnight?'

Shikamaru laughed loudly at the reproachful joshing, even grabbing Sakura with an arm slung round her slender shoulder and jostling her with an amused hug.

'You plank,' she muttered, returning the affectionate gesture with a chuckle of her own. 'Details now, or later?'

'Now if you don't mind?'

'Sure,' she agreed easily, extricating herself from the casual embrace and putting her feet up on Shikamaru's own outstretched limbs. He was struck by how from Ino this exact same act had set him mind racing and his heart fluttering. Coming from Sakura in this friendly atmosphere it couldn't feel more pedestrian. 'So we'd head up Friday night after work, get to Ino's dad's place late and turn in. We'll have the run of the place most of the weekend. She'll be with family. She only wants us there if she needs a bolt hole.'

'The service is on Saturday?'

'Late afternoon, before we lose the light. Then a wake in the village hall till late. Travel home on Sunday.'

'Piece of cake,' muttered Shikamaru dubiously, earning derisive laughter from Sakura.

'What could go wrong?'

The early evening of Friday found Shikamary freshly warmed and motivated by a steaming mug of coffee from his roommate, and heading down to the alley of garages which belonged to his building.

He should market his brewing skills to long-distance haulage firms, he mused idly, feeling the caffeine working its inexorable magic on his stamina, which had been severely dented by a long and troublesome working week. Solve the drug-abuse problems overnight… One Shinoccino for the road!

Dressed in more appropriate clothes than his last outing onto the winter streets, he cut a fine figure in a long black coat, comfy jeans and brown leather half-boots, tartan scarf tucked around his neck against the bitterness. A long and battered sports bag held his meagre luggage for the journey, slung over one shoulder with easy poise.

He leant to unlock the garage, before rising accompanied by the grinding rattle of the door retreating upwards. Inside the enviable triple width space were three cars, although it would be generous to consider the latter a working vehicle by any stretch of imagination. The first was Shino's sleek black sedan, for whizzing him around the busy streets in style. The second; Shikamaru's almost mothballed jeep, a remnant of his more rural upbringing, and often abandoned to languor in the lock-up in the face of London's oppressive traffic.

Finally came the accusing glare of a much disassembled 1970 Gran Torino, uncared-for victim of Shikamaru's whirlwind recent life. Time had been that at least once a week would've seen the lazy man tinkering with his father's old beast, installing new parts, cleaning old ones. He hadn't ever gotten close to having the two-door hard-top's souped-up engine running, but he supposed that was the point. The work was a hobby, a time for recollection and a fitting tribute to his petrol-head of a dad.

'Wow,' came an exclamation of dull awe from behind. 'I didn't think your drawings were of a car you actually owned…'

Shikamaru turned from where he'd been admiring the haphazard but not unimpressive machine, finding Ino to be the new arrival. It was an unworthy thought, cowardly in the extreme, but the wary man had hoped that at least one of the others would have been first to arrive. He smiled a greeting, emerging from the dim-lit garage into the chilly alleyway, thumbing a light-switch as he passed. As the strip lighting struggled to blink to life, he shook off the momentary selfishness which had gripped him.

'Why on earth would I be shopping for parts to a car I didn't own?' he riposted, remembering with sudden fondness his first encounter with Ino, her spying his project plans over his shoulder and nearly making him jump out of his skin when she announced herself.

'Who knows what depths you'd sink to to avoid work, Shikamaru,' she smiled, skewering the work-shy attitude of the brown-haired man as she came to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, admiring the vehicle.

'Good point.' He conceded, with a wry chuckle. It did his heart good to see her make an earnest joke. There were a thousand things he wanted to say to her in that moment. He wanted to ask her how she was doing, whether he could do anything else to help, he wanted to thank her for not burning him out of her life for his outbursts in the recent past… It was agony, then, to find that when he went to speak, he could find no way of phrasing even one of his tumultuous thoughts. He was glad to find that Ino felt no such awkwardness about their complicated relationship, as she continued the conversation.

'Where on earth would you get a car like this in Britain?' she wondered.

'It was my dad's,' confessed Shikamaru reluctantly, unsure whether he should bring up his own father in this moment. 'He left it to me when he died. I've been fixing it up.'

'Have you?' quipped Ino, a subdued sniffle of laughter accompanying her words as she poked a loose door on the ground, setting it wobbling pointedly.

'Good point. Again…' muttered Shikamaru with faux-tetchiness, shoving the blonde woman gently with his elbow. She didn't seem irked by the gesture, but made no move to continue talking in its wake. To stave off a potential silence Shikamaru went on; 'My dad used to work in Texas. Got a bit of a muscle car obsession while he was out there.'

'I can see why. Flat roads and wide blue sky. You can lose yourself driving through that,' she sounded nakedly envious, and Shikamaru couldn't help but sympathise. It must be a terrible temptation to hide away or try to escape with the way she must be feeling. It filled him with immense pride the way his friend was dealing with her loss. 'I wish me and my dad had bonded over something like this. He never seemed to know what to do with me. I'll probably end up with golf clubs I'll never use.'

Ino looked on the verge of crying, nibbling her lower lip with worried distraction as she started to dwell on maudlin thoughts. Shikamaru tried to lessen the load as best he was able, as he took her bag from her and loaded the pair's luggage into the boot of his car.

'I don't know. You could go on a vandalism spree in the office car park?' he suggested, with every appearance of honestly planning a fun activity. She couldn't help but smile in reply.

'Tune up Uchiha's pristine BMW?'

'Now you're talking,' exclaimed Shikamaru, warming to his theme. 'Imagine the damage the great Ino Yamanaka could do with a solid nine-iron in hand…'

As he returned to stand at her side, he was glad to see true chuckles breaking out on her weary features, and he finally knew how to say what he needed to get off his chest.

'I know I can get caught up in my own anxieties sometimes, Ino. Overthinking every last thing. It's not easy to deal with at the best of times. And these aren't exactly the best of times, are they?'

The blonde hummed her agreement, downcast. She seemed on the verge of speaking, as though she wanted to spring to Shikamaru's defence, but the lazy man was unusually driven, and ploughed ahead to finish what he had to say.

'I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. Things are complicated between us, but me being your friend during this? That's the simplest thing in the world.'

'Thank you, Shikamaru,' she murmured, bright blue eyes locking with his at her honest appreciation. 'I'm glad you're coming.'

If any lingering awkwardness had hung in the air between them up until this exchange, it was surely banished now. They came together in a warm hug, backlit by the garage's soft glow, squeezing one-another tightly for a handful of heartbeats. As they split apart again, Shikamaru motioned to the side with his head.

'Shall we wait in the car? Get it warmed up?'

'Sure. I'm frozen,' she grinned.

A short time later the comfortable silence between them was broken as Choji and Sakura rounded the alley corner and strode into the garage. The newly arrived pair waved at driver and passenger through the windshield distractedly, clearly finishing some frightfully important debate from the walk over. As the boot opened and they piled their bags into the fully-laden 4x4, Ino and Shikamaru were treated to the perplexing tail-end of what was surely an important and profound point being made.

'But that's exactly what I'm saying,' remonstrated Choji with frustration, 'It'd have to be a salmon. If it's a bagel the whole story doesn't make any sense!'

There was a brief snatch of blessed silence as the boot was closed and the pair made their way round to the rear passenger doors. In this reprieve, Ino cocked an eyebrow at Shikamaru as if to say '…the fuck?', and he couldn't help but nod in considerable agreement. They'd clearly missed Sakura's response, as when the two hopped into the pleasant warmth of the car, Choji was making yet another impassioned statement.

'What are you on about?! The joke doesn't work if it's a bagel. How's a bagel supposed to fly a plane?!'

'How's a fucking salmon supposed to fly a fucking pla-' exploded Ino, but she was unable to finish, as Sakura clamped the fiery blonde's mouth shut with a pleading expression on her face.

'Please don't join in,' she begged, removing the hand. 'Please.'

Before Choji had a chance to begin the next portion of his lecture on the comedic and aeronautical merits of fish versus bakery products, Shikamaru cut in with a question, eager to be on their way.

'Shall we get going? Rush-hour should be easing off by now?'

Frank relief from Sakura was all the excuse he needed, as he pulled out into the narrow alley, thumbing a button to lower the garage door behind them. Choji had been stymied into silence, and complete confusion still lit Ino's face with nervous energy. No-one's even greeted each other… worried Shikamaru. As they rounded the bend onto the main road, Shikamaru realised that the last thing anybody needed, least of all Ino, was an awkward simmer of a car ride north. He needn't have worried however, as Sakura broke the silence in a pitch-perfect Lisa Simpson in that very second.

'Are we there yet?'

Ino joined the charade with an impassioned 'why you little', attempting to reach the back seat and mock-throttle her cheeky friends, and with that, relaxed chuckles reigned and all was set right.

The first of many hurdles… mused Shikamaru, wondering how the rest of the weekend would unfold.

Under an inky sky and settled into a thoughtful silence, the quartet drove to Yorkshire.

The drive had gone by in a hypnotic blur of yellow and red lights, the M1 mercifully quiet for once. For various reasons, the four companions were wiped out by the week just gone, and no-one seemed to feel much like talking. Talk radio ruled the snug interior of Shikamaru's car, a background buzz of current events and sports punditry to keep him sharp whilst the others napped and dozed in their seats.

Ino had been awake enough to help lead the tired chauffeur in the right direction once they got near enough that his point-and-shoot drive straight north would no longer cut it. She murmured weary instructions with her forehead pressed to the cool passenger seat window, breath misting on the transparent surface in slow rhythm. They whizzed through Chesterfield, barely slowing, then circled Sheffield before heading into the rugged, picturesque spread of the Peak District. Shikamaru had only been once before, and had been young enough that his only memories were fuzzy impressions rather than anything concrete. It galled him a little to be travelling through such renowned countryside without being able to see much of it.

After a brief eternity of ups and downs, winding blind bends and the odd bright lights of a pleasant village, Ino motioned for him to turn the car into the gravel path of a long driveway, signalling the mercy of journey's end. Shikamaru wouldn't be displeased at the relief of stretching his legs and breathing the chill air.

'Lights are on,' mumbled Choji from the backseat, his words offering a query despite his lack of inflection.

'My auntie must've been in to check on the place. She'll have gotten the stove going too,' said Ino, eyes fixed on the small cottage hoving into view. 'You'll thank her for that. Gets bloody cold out here this time of year.'

A quick turn of the keys and the engine rumbled to silence. As the friends stepped out into the stiff breeze, the last of four car doors closing left in its wake an almost uncomfortable calm. An owl hooting and the swish of leaves and grass in the wind were the only noises. No other lights were visible in the distance, no distant traffic to break the silence.

'Alone at last,' muttered Shikamaru. He had grown up in the countryside, like Choji. They were only converts to city-life, unlike Sakura who had never lived out of London. The peace and quiet wasn't always desirable, and London had plenty to enjoy, but in that moment the lazy man found a deep contentment seep into his tired frame.

'Keys,' came Ino's voice, suddenly and very close. She pressed the item to his chest, whilst simultaneously pressing her cheek to his shoulder in an awkward half-hug as she went on to explain distractedly. 'I'm going to check in with my auntie down the road.'

Before Shikamaru had a chance to return the embrace she was gone, in a brief group huddle with Choji and Sakura either side of her, also saying goodbye. He noticed no such restraint with her exchange with his companions, and couldn't help but wonder at where the graceless gesture had come from. He fancied that she wasn't sure where she was supposed to stand with Shikamaru when his friends were watching, as if wary of what he might have told them about their fledgling relationship. Perhaps he was just overthinking. It's never happened before… he sarcastically remarked to himself, as he waved to the retreating figure of Ino as she was swallowed piece-by piece by the preternatural gloom which surrounded their small oasis of light.

'The place should be fully stocked. Help yourselves to whatever you need,' she instructed, bossy command coming more easily to her than inattentive farewells. 'Spare blankets in the cupboard on the landing. Keep the stove going…. And don't break anything!'

'Sure thing, Ino,' assured Sakura, turning towards the much-needed warmth of the cottage with Choji in tow.

'Good luck,' called Shikamaru, before being extremely glad of the cover of dark, which he desperately needed to hide the scarlet blush his parting comment had drawn from him. Good luck?! Good luck…? Why exactly does she need luck to meet her loved ones? Fingernails cut painfully into his palm as his fist shook with repressed embarrassment. In the moments that followed he realised that he had missed any opportunity to offer assistance. To offer to walk her there. To wonder at whether it was wise to let her wander off into the dark alone. This realisation only compounded his self-recrimination.

'What a truly stupid thing to say.' He muttered dejectedly to himself, not having been able to see Ino's reaction to his misstep as she disappeared, crunch-crunching down the hidden path.

'Fancy letting us in, Shika?' requested Choji from the doorway, with every appearance of a calm and reasonable man. 'If we stay out here any longer my dick might fall off…'

'Sure,' smirked Shikamaru, suddenly aware of the bitter chill which had been assaulting them since they exited the comfort of the car. He put the weathered keys to the lock and muttered to his friends as he turned it. 'Let's see what we're dealing with here.'

What they were dealing with, as it happened, appeared to be the very picture of cozy comfort which every camping lodge photoshoot attempt to recreate – with varying degrees of success. The walls were deep maroon, columned by the warmth of bare beams of wood, the same struts of which crisscrossed the relatively low ceiling. A small kitchen with gleaming, copper cookware was left of the door, whilst on the right, plush sofas and armchairs ringed a wood-burning stove, so hot that the black of cast iron seemed in the fanciful flights of Shikamaru's mind to glow ruby.

'Fuck yes.' Sighed Choji in utter rapture. He kicked out of his boots carelessly and slumped into the nearest armchair. 'Gryffindor common room's got nothing on this…'

'You hopeless, hopeless nerd,' chuckled Sakura, shoving his protruding feet out of the way to allow her and Shikamaru to enter properly and close the door behind them.

The trio quickly made themselves at home, which was no chore at all in such idyllic surroundings. It was hard to remain focused on the sad news that had brought them to the place. Choji saw to the fire, whilst Sakura set herself to getting the kettle going, and delightedly finding a well-stocked kitchen, also began making cheese-on-toast.

Shikamaru, after a number of hours in their close company, was happy enough carrying their things up to the cosy bedrooms, and lay briefly on a luxurious mattress, breathing deeply. Soon, the delicious aroma of melting mature cheddar roused him to join the others for a quick supper, huddling around mugs of piping hot tea and predictably burning their mouths in their haste to eat. Sat around the banked up fire after they had finished, it was easy to believe that all was right in the world.

'I'm going on a date with Neji next week,' said Sakura, apropos of nothing as she stared into the glowing stack of logs in the stove. Her eyes were wonderful in the firelight; a sunset over azure waters. Shikamaru was happily surprised, and saw in the rosy-cheeked smile of Choji that his portly friend had already known and wasn't at all surprised at her sudden announcement.

'Sakura!' he exclaimed. 'That's great news. Does Neji know?'

He got a cushion to the face for his quip, but enjoyed noting the amused glare in his pink-haired friend's eyes.

'Yes he knows, you pillock,' she chuckled. 'I basically had to arm-wrestle him into asking me, though.'

'What on earth would poor Neji do if you weren't around to tell him,' joked Choji, reclined with his feet propped towards the fire, fingers woven above his prominent waistline.

'Exactly,' growled Sakura, with no trace of irony at Choji's assessment. After so many years of frustration at watching how obtuse the pair had been, moving in slow circles around one-another, it did Shikamaru's heart good to hear that they had finally taken the plunge. The aqua-eyed woman nudged Choji with a dainty toe. 'How about Hinata. How're things going with you guys?'

His response was to smile broadly, pure contentment alighting on his features. There was no lechery or subversion of any kind in his honest expression, just true happiness.

'It's wonderful,' he admitted out loud, after a long moment. 'Really great.'

'I'm so happy for you guys,' smiled Shikamaru warmly. A lesser person might have felt a pang of jealousness or bitterness rise within them, witnessing such bliss in the face of his own problems, but Shikamaru's love for his friends was a deep, deep bond, which wouldn't suffer such unworthy thoughts. He did note, however, that this news didn't seem a surprise to Sakura at all, despite her having asked. Once again he got the distinct sense that the conversation was being steered by unseen hand.

'How about you, Shikamaru?' came the inevitable question, spinning the attention of the conversation around with unerring focus.

Ahh…

'Subtle, guys…' smirked Shikamaru after a moment to adjust, amused despite himself. 'Top marks for interrogation.'

They laughed at his sharpness, unsurprised that their analytical friend had spotted the hidden current of their supposedly casual chit-chat.

'It's all going spectacularly well. Why? Couldn't you tell?' he joined in with the bout of chuckling without much persuasion, the cutting sarcasm having just the right tinge of humour for the old friends in their tired, sedated state.

'We don't want to pry, but you know you can talk to us about this stuff, right?' tried Choji in the wake of their congenial laughter.

'Anything.' Added Sakura in a murmur. 'You've had a lot going on lately.'

Shikamaru sighed loudly, with no trace of exasperation whatsoever. It was a long, subdued noted of exhaustion and recognition that his friends were absolutely right on the money. It would do him good to get some things off his chest. It can't possibly make things more complicated… he admitted to himself with resignation.

'You're right,' he began, but was cut off before he could continue.

'Of course we're right, you plank!' groused a wryly incredulous Choji.

Shikamaru nodded his assent without argument, finding a fresh smile plastering his features unbidden.

'Okay. Here's the plan. I saw some bottles of ale in the pantry. Let's crack open a couple and I'll let you know what's going on in the madcap world of Shikamaru Nara,' he grinned lazily at his transparent attempt to not have to be the one fetching the drinks. This couch is too damn comfy. No chance I'm moving…

Seeing through his charade with the ease of long familiarity, Sakura snorted indecorously and slouched to her feet to fetch the beer.

'That's more like it, Shika,' encouraged Choji, face still spread with a small smile of contentment as the dapple of fire flickered over his toasty feet.

As Sakura returned to pass around the bottles of dark red ale, she muttered dubiously, though with a pleasant, amused quirk of attractive features.

'At least with the three of us on the case, soon to be slightly pissed, there's a small chance we can come up with a plan which isn't total balls…'

So there we go. Hope you enjoyed!

Chapter 14 was looking like it'd end up a similar length to 13, but it splits quite nicely at this point both story-wise and in terms of length, so I figured I would put it up as is. This way I can publish to keep me motivated and not keep you waiting, content in the knowledge that I'm already a few thousand words into Chapter 15. Seem to be in a bit of a groove at the moment...

As always it'd be lovely to hear from you guys if you enjoyed the story. Every review helps with the motivation to keep plugging away, and every bit of criticism helps make the story better.

Let me know what you think!