Chapter 25: What a Drag

A month had passed.

Just like that, and Sasuke didn't know what to think about it. He found himself going through the motions, and swaying back in forth. One moment, he was with Naruto and finding himself drowning in this strange euphoria. The next moment, he was with Suigetsu talking about the next attack.

Where was he going?

Speaking of going, where did Naruto go? Sasuke spent the night that night, to...well...do things together with Naruto, but he restrained himself often, he couldn't bring himself to go further then they'd already gone before because he didn't want any feelings getting in the way and complicating matters. He was puzzled when he woke up from sleep to discover that he was the only occupant of the bed. He figured Naruto went to the bathroom at first,but now that he was staring at the clock he realized ten minutes had passed without any sign of the blonde.

Had Suigetsu decided on a plan without telling him?

Hurriedly, he scurried up form out of the bed, carefully stepping out into the hall. Muffled voices called to him through the bathroom door. Sasuke made his way to it, pressing his ear against the solid surface to make out the voices.

"This can't keep happening. Don't go back this time."

"I know...that didn't...Sasuke."

Naruto was easier to hear, he picked out that loud voice right away, but the other voice was quieter and seemed muffled by something. And what about him was said?

"Yeah, we kind of have...something going on."

"Well...or else...but I hope...happy."

This was frustrating the hell out of him, he just wanted to know who the hell was in the bathroom with Naruto right at this moment. Not wanting to listen in anymore, Sasuke reached out and swung the door wide open revealing a shocked looking Naruto and...Shikamaru?

Yeah, he was pretty sure that was Shikamaru.

Only his face was badly bruised, and his lip was swollen, his eye looked like it was about to close. Naruto had a first aid kit sitting on the bathroom counter, and some thing in his hands to clean the wounds. They both stared at him in silence for a moment before Shikamaru broke the silence. "Sasuke."

It was a greeting, a very stoic greeting.

Since their first encounter in the bathroom, everything between them had been a heated discussion or battle or something. But this was different, this wasn't looking at the Shikamaru he knew, this was more like looking at a deer in headlights. (no puns intended) He wouldn't be that way if it was a normal fight, there was something different about this. Something like the deep dark skeletons that shake their bones in everyone's closet.

And if he knew that look, it was possibly similar to one of Sasuke's own skeletons.

"Shikamaru." he tried with a nod, both of them broke eye-contact, leaving Naruto to break the silence.

"Umm...well this is awkward." Naruto chuckled, his gaze swinging between them. "But um, awkward things-"

"There's nothing awkward about it." Sasuke cut in, his hands sinking into his pajama pockets, "I just walked in on a friend helping out another friend after a fight that's all, any other details are none of my business."

And then he turned around and left.

It was possibly the best moment he'd ever have with Shikamaru.

I opened this chapter up and discovered, hey! I already wrote it XD So I'm off to work on Chapter 26

Review~! Oh and, things are going to start heating up real soon. Just warning you