Sorry for the hiatus! I am officially married now! XD
The two of them spent the remainder of February as inconspicuously as possible. Though no adults, besides Tsunade of course, suspected anything of their clandestine relationship, Ino had taken it as a personal insult. She had taken it upon herself to make sure everyone in their group knew that Shikamaru and Suki were somehow together. It turned out not to matter too much, as everyone had already suspected as much and either didn't care or pointedly chose to keep the information to themselves. Sasuke, on the other hand, spoke less to everyone, even Naruto, and grew even moodier. He and Suki spent the time avoiding each other as best they could.
There was only a thin layer of snow still on the ground the afternoon the two came face to face with one another at last. Team Ten was away on a mission and Mitsuki and her teammates were off on some sort of secret training, so Suki had gone to the training grounds for a bit of personal skill honing. She hadn't expected to find Sasuke there, but he was working diligently, shirtless, his breath steaming out into the cold February morning.
He caught sight of her before she could sidle off, an ugly sneer on his chiseled face, so Suki held her head high and marched down to the training field. She had as much right to be there as he did, after all.
After five minutes of over-the-shoulder glares and derisive snorts, Suki had had enough. "If you've got something to say to me, just say it!" she snapped, hands on her hips.
"I have nothing to say to someone like you." His voice was cool, demeaning. Suki had never been spoken to thus in her entire spoiled life. She was furious and humiliated but at the same time she felt guilty and abashed.
Her lower lip trembled despite her efforts to keep her emotions in check. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, her hands balling themselves into fists. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"You thought lying to me wouldn't hurt?" His eyes flashed dangerously and she was reminded again of just how frightening this dark-haired, dark-eyed young man could be.
"I didn't lie to you," she maintained. "The old hag won't let me see anyone. Because of my lineage, there's someone set aside for me to marry."
Sasuke looked suspicious but he had lost the sharp edge. "What about the Nara kid? You're with him, aren't you?"
"I'm not supposed to be." Before she knew it, Suki had seated herself on a bench next to Sasuke and told him everything. Maybe it was because she'd been holding everything in for so long, but it was a relief to tell the whole story to someone.
Sasuke proved to be a good listener. His solid, silent presence beside her was reassuring as she wove her tale; he nodded and frowned at the appropriate times.
When she'd finished, he was still frowning. "I do feel sorry for you, but you shouldn't have used me like that."
"I know." She hung her head in shame, twisting the fabric of her skirt relentlessly in her hands. "It's just never mattered before."
He gave her a rare smile and things were alright once more between them. "You should tell Shikamaru though. He deserves to know."
"You're friends with Sasuke?" Shikamaru demanded that night. It was late; the sky was dotted with brilliant stars, the full moon reflecting off what was left of the snow in the garden.
Suki closed the bedroom door softly and frowned over her shoulder. "Keep it down. You'll wake your parents."
"You're friends with Sasuke?" her lover repeated incredulously. He was sprawled across his bed, shirtless, fiddling with a lone shuriken. "I thought he hated you after the stunt you pulled with the date."
She shrugged, kicking off her shoes and peeling off her fishnet gloves. "He did," she agreed, dropping the gloves and shoes in the floor. She never picked up after herself. "But we had a nice long chat. We're fine now."
"I don't think I like you being friends," Shikamaru grumbled, watching her pull her shirt over her head and throw it aside. He seemed vaguely distracted by the pale moons of her breasts. "Sasuke is a shady guy, Suki."
She shimmied out of her uneven skirt and threw it aside, leaving her in only her fishnet shorts. "He's supportive of us, Shikamaru," she drawled, hooking her thumbs in the waistband of her shorts and slipping them off, turning off the light at the same time. "You don't have to worry about him."
"Is that so?" Shikamaru replied lazily, smiling despite himself as he enveloped her slight frame, warm in his arms; her familiar earthy, flowery scent overwhelmed him.
She nodded demurely, nuzzling into his shoulder comfortably. "Yes, it is so." And that was that.
So Suki and Sasuke are friends now! What will this mean for Shikamaru and Suki's relationship? Read and find out! And I promise no more extended absences!