Author's Note: Thank you very much to those who reviewed the last chapter!
We're getting near the end! Which is crazy to me, because I still feel like I just started writing the story! Haha.
Anyway, if you thought the last chapter was sad, just wait until you read this one.
Sorry about the sadness, but it all has a purpose, don't you worry! :)
Anyway, enjoy (or at least try to, haha) and review, pretty please!

Chapter Twenty-One: Opening Up

It had been a few weeks since my release from the Konoha hospital. My burns had been completely healed, and, medically speaking, I was in perfect shape. There was just one problem, however, that had been getting in the way of my full recovery.

Shikamaru had been avoiding me.

I hadn't talked to him since the day the in the hospital that he had been informed of Asuma Sensei's passing. Actually, nobody in the village, save for his immediate family, had talked to him, or even seen him, since then. He never came outside. He simply stayed locked up in his bedroom. Not even Choji, his best friend, had gotten through to him, and I was really starting to get worried.

Closing the door behind me, I exited my house and descended the porch steps. I fiddled nervously with the hem of my sweatshirt, biting my lip as I lowered my eyes in thought. I tried to shake away the troubling image of Shikamaru's crestfallen expression, but to no avail. Ever since that day, it continuously haunted my thoughts and dreams. Lifting my eyes to the sky, I shook my head in defeat and continued walking down the street.

Although the sky was somewhat gloomy, there were no clouds floating along for Shikamaru (or I) to gaze longingly at. The sun was beginning to lower itself in the sky, and it now fell behind the treetops in the distance. There was no beautiful sunset, however, only a dismal darkness that blanketed the village. I sighed, continuing on my way.

The village had returned to normal since Zakuro's defeat, as if the past had simply been forgotten. Children played ninja in their backyards, merchants incessantly persuaded passers by into purchasing their products, and the villagers went on with their lives while smiling and laughing. I watched as couples walked hand in hand down the streets, old friends joked about the past, and families enjoyed spending the evening together, and as I observed them, I wanted desperately to be like them. I wished I could be happy, but it was impossible for me to move on when I knew that Shikamaru was so miserable.

I kicked a pebble out of my way as I trudged along the rocky path. It skipped and hopped over bumps and cracks until it finally settled on the side of the road, all by its lonesome. Now you're all alone, too, I thought with a sigh.

"Hey, Yuri!" I heard Miyuki's voice call from behind me.

I spun myself around to face her. She was jogging toward me with none other than Sasuke Uchiha following close behind her. It turned out that I was right about Sasuke's feelings for Miyuki, for a few days after he had given her the carnation, he asked her out on a date. They've been together ever since then. I could see that their hands were joined together, which caused me to smirk slightly. For Sasuke to show any public display of affection was incredible to me. He must have really liked her.

"Hey, Yuki," I smiled at her. I then turned to her date and gave a little nod, "Sasuke."

He returned my greeting with a quick wave of his hand.

"We were just about to go to the barbeque restaurant for some dinner," she told me, "Want to tag along?"

I shook my head. "That's ok. I don't want to spoil your evening."

"Yuri," she said knowingly, "You've been like this for weeks. I'm really worried about you," her eyes expressed concern.

I managed to force a smile onto my lips before replying, "You have nothing to worry about. You two go have fun."

The look on her face as Sasuke urged her along indicated that she felt guilty for leaving me, but after a moment she returned the small smile and turned on her heel to leave. When they had gotten lost in the sea of villagers that crowded the streets, I twirled myself around and resumed my walk.

I turned a corner and continued down a side street. A sudden rush of wind blew my bangs into my eyes as it rustled the leaves in the trees, so I immediately raised my left hand to hold the hair out of my face. When the wind ceased, I tucked the loose strands behind my ears and shoved my hands into the front pocket of my sweatshirt. The sky was getting dark, but I carried on until I finally stood before my destination.

The Nara household.

I took a deep breath before advancing toward the front steps. Despite the nervous quivering of my knees, I managed to ascend the stairs and position myself in front of the door. I slowly lifted my hand to the door before gently tapping against the hardwood, and, looking through the curtained windows, I could see someone's silhouette approaching. The door then opened to reveal a man who looked almost exactly like Shikamaru. His hair was in the same spiky ponytail, the same small silver loops hung from his earlobes, and he had the same bored black eyes. He was just slightly taller and bulkier, and had a few scars on the right side of his face. I guessed this was Shikamaru's father.

"Hello," he said in a low voice, "what can I do for you?"

I anxiously cleared my throat and rubbed the back of my neck with my right hand. "Um, h-hi, Mr. Nara… sir…" I took a moment to breathe, hoping that would calm me down some. I didn't even know why I was this nervous in the first place. "I was just wondering… is Shikamaru here?"

The man crossed his muscular arms over his chest. "He is, but unfortunately he doesn't want any visitors at the moment."

Upon hearing his answer, I nearly gave up, but then I remembered everything that Shikamaru had done for me over the past month. After he had treated me so nicely, and after he had saved my life multiple times, I just couldn't let him suffer alone. I had to help him. I lifted my pleading eyes to the man. "Please, sir," I begged, "I really need to see him. I need to know that he's ok."

"He's been really upset over Asuma's death," he told me.

"I know," I whispered, "but please, I'm begging you, sir. Don't you think that he needs someone right now? Someone to let him know that everything is going to be ok… that he's not alone…"

After a moment, the man smiled in my direction and stepped aside, holding the door open for me. I looked at him in amazement. "Come on in. I'll show you to his room."

I thanked him before stepping inside, and he let the door close behind me. He began walking through what appeared to be the living room. There was a set of stairs toward the back of the room, which he approached and began to climb. I followed closely after him. Once we had reached the top, the man turned to the right and headed down a small hallway with two doors on the left wall. He passed the first door to stand in front of the second. "Shikamaru is in here. I'll be downstairs if you need anything." He gave me a quick smile before turning to head back down the stairs, but before he began his descent, he looked back at me. "I hate seeing my son like this. I really hope you can cheer him up."

"I'll try my best," I replied, mustering a small smile.

After Shikamaru's father was out of sight, I gently knocked against the door. A muffled "go away," was the response that I received.

"Shikamaru?" I said through the door.

"I said go away," he retorted.

I bit my lip before grasping the doorknob in my right hand and giving it a twist. Pushing the door open, I stepped inside the room, and my eyes immediately focused on Shikamaru. He was sitting on his bed with his knees pulled tightly into his chest. His arms were wrapped around his legs, and he leaned his head back to rest against the wall with his eyes closed.

"Typical woman," he mumbled, "they never listen. How troublesome…"

"Shikamaru," I whispered as I sat on the edge of his bed.

He rolled his eyes and rested his head against his knees, facing away from me. I reached out to touch his shoulder, but he flinched away from my hand. I lowered my eyes into my lap as I retracted my hand and began nervously fingering the sleeve of my shirt. "Just leave me alone," he grumbled.

"Shikamaru, listen to me," I said, "You don't have to talk to me, you don't even have to look at me… but please, just listen."

He was silent, so I assumed that he was paying attention.

"I know exactly how you're feeling right now," I started. I could already feel tears already stinging in my eyes, "When I lost my father, I didn't want to be around anyone. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to be left alone."

"So why are you here?" he snapped, lifting his glaring eyes to mine.

I was slightly taken aback, but I tried to maintain my composure, attributing his reaction to his unstable emotions. "That day at the park, when I opened up to you about my father… Shikamaru, you were the first and only person that I had ever expressed my feelings to. Until then, I kept everything bottled up inside, thinking that I was being strong. But when I let it all out, it was like… like all the weight of those negative emotions had lifted off of my heavy heart."

"I don't need to talk about anything," he interrupted. I could hear the annoyance in his voice.

"Please," I whispered. A few tears had slipped out of my eyes and glided down my cheeks, and his hard eyes seemed to soften slightly as he saw them. I hoped that I was getting somewhere with him. "I realized that talking about the things that make you angry, depressed, confused, or whatever you may be feeling… well, it makes everything so much easier. Knowing that someone cared… and knowing that I didn't have to deal with everything all on my own…" I had to stop talking for a moment while I choked back a few sobs and wiped the tears out of my eyes.

"You're not alone, Shikamaru," I finally continued, "I'm here for you. You don't have to hold it in anymore. Talk to me… please, Shikamaru, just let it out…"

Before he hastily hid his face from me again, I noticed that tears had started to form in his eyes as well. I slid further onto the bed to sit beside him, and when I placed my arm around his shoulders, I was surprised when he immediately leaned into me, burying his face in my neck and wrapping his arms loosely around my middle. He sniffled loudly, trying to cover up his sobs, but the wetness that I felt against my skin gave it all away. He was crying.

I stiffened for a moment as I tried to process exactly what had happened, but I soon relaxed and leaned my head against the top of his. My arms tightened their grip around him, pulling him closer to me, as I soothingly stroked my fingertips against his back. "Everything is going to be ok."

He sniffled before replying, "I really wish I could believe you."

I couldn't stop my own tears from pouring out of my eyes. Seeing him completely break down in my arms was heartbreaking. I lightly pressed my lips to the top of his head and pulled him even closer to me. "You can," I forced through a sob, "You can believe me. I don't care how long it takes. I will be here for you. No matter what, I will be here."

His breathing became sharper with his sobs, and he tightened his arms around my waist. He just let himself weep in my arms while I did my best to comfort him, wiping the tears from his eyes and tucking his hair behind his ears when it fell loose from his ponytail. Gradually as time passed, he started to calm down, and the salty liquid ceased squeezing out of his tightly shut eyelids. I didn't let go, however. I wanted to make sure that he was ok before I released him from my arms.

He lifted his head to face me, and although his eyes were bloodshot and his face was still wet with tears, he had a hint of a smile on his lips. "Thank you, Yuri."

Taking his hand in mine, I kissed his forehead, just as he had done the night that I had opened up to him. Beaming happily, I replied, "You don't have to thank me."